how do you write a women's speech

Writing A Women’s Day Speech: 7 Tips and Examples

Every year on March 8th, the world recognizes International Women’s Day. It’s a day for celebrating the economic, social, cultural, and political accomplishments of women and for celebrating Women’s Rights . In 1911, over a million people from Austria, Germany, Denmark, and Switzerland celebrated the first International Women’s Day . Today, in addition to celebrating women’s achievements, IWD is an opportunity to call for gender equality and justice. Speeches are held at events around the world. How do you write a good speech for International Women’s Day? Here are seven tips and examples:

Tip #1: Know your audience

Before writing a speech, you want to know who your audience is and what they care about. Without this information, you may write something that doesn’t resonate. It may not be bad, but it may miss the mark. As an example, if you don’t know recent college graduates make up most of your audience, you may write a speech that fails to take into account their youth, their goals (like starting a career), their knowledge and experience of history, and so on. Your audience’s age is just one piece of information about them. In a 2019 article on Ideas.Ted.com , Briar Goldberg describes how audiences can be broken into three types: expert, novice, and mixed. If you’re speaking to an expert audience, you’ll rely on more complex arguments and terminology than if you were speaking to a novice audience. With mixed audiences, appealing to emotions is often the best choice.

At the 2020 International Finance Corporation’s celebration event for International Women’s Day, the CEO Philippe Le Houérou spoke to his audience’s interests by focusing on economics, numbers, and ways IFC is addressing gender inequality, saying :

“At IFC, we have developed a comprehensive approach to reducing gender inequality. We create partnerships to encourage the hiring of women and improve their working conditions. We help expand access to financial services for women. We invest in innovative technologies that expand choices for female consumers and employment. And we work with partners to provide business skills and leadership training to women entrepreneurs.”

Tip #2: Write a strong opening

A strong opening engages the listener and gives them a general roadmap of your speech. Depending on your speech’s context and audience, you can experiment with opening styles. If you’re speaking to a general audience, an anecdote is a great way to capture your listener’s attention and get them emotionally invested. If your audience consists of experts or academics, it might be best to keep your introduction as brief as possible (many speeches begin with thank yous), so you can spend more time on the speech’s main points.

Consider then-UN Women Deputy Executive Director Lakshmi Puri’s 2013 speech to the mostly-expert audience of the Open Society Foundation. Her topic was on the importance of girls’ education. After thanking the audience, she opened with strong, clear language to emphasize the speech’s main message:

“Your Excellencies, fellow panelists, ladies and gentlemen. I am honoured to be participating in this very important side event on the right to education in the post-2015 agenda. I sincerely thank the International Council for Adult Education, the Global Campaign for Education and all of the convening organizations for inviting me to speak today. UN Women considers that education is one of the greatest game-changers for women and girls around the world. It is both an enabler and force multiplier for women’s economic, political and social empowerment and gender equality.”

Tip #3: Include statistics to support your claims

When you’re writing a speech about issues like gender equality in education, healthcare, or the workplace, you want to give the audience specific information about the issue. Without key statistics , the audience won’t know how serious an issue is or what progress is being made. It isn’t enough to say that “many” girls don’t receive equal education compared to boys or that things are “improving.” What are the actual numbers? Sharing statistics also shows you did your research, which gives your words credibility.

You can also include data to show what specific organizations are doing and how they’re impacting gender equality. That’s what Michelle Obama did in her 2016 speech at the Let Girls Learn event that celebrated Women’s Day. She sprinkled facts through her speech on how Let Girls Learn was making a difference. Here’s an example:

“Folks of all ages and all walks of life are stepping up, as well. More than 1,600 people in nearly all 50 states have donated money to Let Girls Learn Peace Corps projects. Our #62MillionGirls hashtag was the number-one hashtag in the U.S., with people across the country talking about the power of education. And we’ll be launching the next phase of this social media campaign next week at South by Southwest.”

Tip #4: Strike the right tone

How do you want to present yourself? What kinds of emotions do you want to stir in your audience? These types of questions help you identify the appropriate tone for your speech. This is another reason why knowing your audience matters. When you’re speaking to a group of seasoned experts in a formal setting, your tone will likely sound more analytical and logical. If you were speaking in a more casual environment to a group unfamiliar with your subject, you’ll probably want to adopt a more personal, conversational style. If you want to provoke emotions in your listeners and get them to care, stories are very effective. If your goal is to inform and educate, it’s wise to rely on facts and stats.

Tracee Ellis Ross’ 2018 TED Talk on women’s anger is a great example of a speech with a tone that fits the speech’s context. She’s speaking to a mixed-gender audience in a non-academic setting. Because the topic she’s covering is personal, she uses a conversational, almost intimate style that switches between the first and second person. She addresses both the women and men in the audience, but keeps the women centered. Here’s an example toward the end of the speech:

“Our culture is shifting, and it’s time. So my fellow women and our gentle men, as we are here together within this particular window of this large-scale movement towards women’s equality, and as we envision a future that does not yet exist, we both have different invitations.”

Tip #5: Pay attention to structure

At their most basic, speeches consist of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Each section serves an important purpose. The introduction establishes your credibility, the speech’s tone, and its goals. The body, which is the main part of the speech, fills in the points you want to cover using statistics, stories, or other forms of evidence. The conclusion wraps everything up and emphasizes what you want your audience to remember. Unlike something that’s written, your audience can’t look back to find their way if they get lost, so as you move through the three sections, you want things to be as clear and simple as possible.

In 2021, Srishti Baksh gave a TedTalk relating her 2,300-mile walk journey across India where she held driving workshops to empower women’s ability to move across the country. She uses a simple structure that opens with the story of the first time she went to a movie alone with her friends at age 14. She was assaulted in the theater. She then zooms out, describing how there are 600 million women in India, but women rarely go outside because they’re not safe. In the body of her speech, she zooms back in to talk about her walking journey, the women she met, the empowering and terrifying things she witnessed, and how she joined forces with another woman to create a movement that trains female drivers. She concludes with a clear message:

“By rethinking mobility for women, giving them a safe transport and safety outside of home, it is our hope to transform our culture. Apart from having a profound impact on the Indian economy, this is about something much bigger. As you all know, when we move, we can be seen. The more women see other women in public spaces, the more safe, independent and empowered each one of us will be. So. If we can learn how to walk, certainly we can learn how to fly.”

Tip #6: Use repetition to your advantage

How do you make sure your audience gets the point of your speech? How do you make your speech – which might be one of many speeches the audience sits through – memorable? Repetition. You want to repeat your main point throughout your speech. It’s a good idea to include it at least three times: in the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. There are other types of repetition that make your speech memorable, too. Repetition can include keywords, phrases, and even the sounds of words. Repetition looks different depending on what kind of speech you’re giving. If you’re giving an emotion-driven speech, frequent repetition of the same words/phrases adds to the emotional punch. For informational or educational speeches where powerful emotions aren’t necessarily appropriate, use different words/phrases to repeat the main point.

For an example of good repetition in a speech, let’s look at Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw’s 2016 Keynote at Women of the World . From a word search, it’s clear what the speech is about. Together, the words “intersectionality” and “intersectional” appear 42 times. Repetition is found within sentences and paragraphs, too:

“There are multiple forms of intersectionality . I could talk about a lot of them, but the kind of intersectionality that I most want to talk about is the intersectionality around politics – political intersectionality .”

“So the question we have to ask is, what can we each do about it? We’ve been saying the first thing you can do about it is say her name. Do not allow her death to happen in silence. Do not allow their children, their loved ones to grieve for them in silence. Do not allow , do not affirm the belief that their lives are insignificant.”

Tip #7: Ask rhetorical questions

Do you want to increase audience engagement? Ask rhetorical questions. When you ask a question, your audience is forced to think more deeply about your words. They’re more likely to listen more closely, as well, since the information that follows a question will provide more context. You can use rhetorical questions in a few ways. You can anticipate a question your audience might have, set up an important point, or even encourage an emotional response. Even though audience members won’t shout out an answer (unless you encourage them to do so), asking questions makes your speech feel more interactive and engaging.

Let’s look at a 2003 speech by Maxine Waters at the National Youth Summit. While it isn’t directly about women’s rights, it serves as a great example of how to use questions in a speech. Right from the beginning, it’s clear this speech is going to be interactive. She says good morning to the audience and then prompts them to answer her. Through the speech, Waters asks many questions (some rhetorical, some direct), all of which make the speech engaging even through a transcript:

“Who makes up this jury? [Waters is discussing a trial involving a White cop and a Black teenager that ended in a hung jury and mistrial] A lot of people were very, very concerned because there was only one black person on the jury. The city of Inglewood is majority minority, and majority African-American. How could this have happened? How could you get a jury with only one black, in a case where the defendants are African-American, in a city where it is majority minority and mostly black? How could this happen?”

You may also like

16 Inspiring Civil Rights Leaders You Should Know

15 Trusted Charities Fighting for Housing Rights

15 Examples of Gender Inequality in Everyday Life

11 Approaches to Alleviate World Hunger 

15 Facts About Malala Yousafzai

12 Ways Poverty Affects Society

15 Great Charities to Donate to in 2024

15 Quotes Exposing Injustice in Society

14 Trusted Charities Helping Civilians in Palestine

The Great Migration: History, Causes and Facts

Social Change 101: Meaning, Examples, Learning Opportunities

Rosa Parks: Biography, Quotes, Impact

About the author, emmaline soken-huberty.

Emmaline Soken-Huberty is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon. She started to become interested in human rights while attending college, eventually getting a concentration in human rights and humanitarianism. LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and climate change are of special concern to her. In her spare time, she can be found reading or enjoying Oregon’s natural beauty with her husband and dog.

Here are some great tips for writing IWD speeches and presentations

International Women's Day provides a useful opportunity to reinforce the fact that everyone has a role to play in forging a more gender-balanced world. IWD is for celebrating the achievements of women and/or calling for gender parity.

Around the world - from small grassroots gatherings and local celebrations, through to large scale events and press conferences - people everywhere are delivering exciting and engaging speeches and presentations that reinforce a commitment to women's equality and rally action and awareness raising.

Below are some useful points to cover in IWD addresses - whether addressing young children, employees in the workforce, members of the community, public audiences, or the press.

About International Women's Day 

Even though International Women's Day is a well-known moment in most countries, it is often helpful to still set some context. 

International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

The day has occurred for well over a century, with the first​ ​IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Prior to this the​ Socialist Party of America, United Kingdom's Suffragists and Suffragettes, and further groups campaigned for women's equality. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere.

Read more about International Women's Day  here .

Engaging topics and angles to cover

Some engaging topics and angles to include in International Women's Day speeches and presentations include:

• The rise of women is not about the fall of men
• Everyone can play a role in forging gender parity
• Gender balance is not solely a women's issue, but also an economic issue
• What is bias and how does it play out?
• Advocacy, inclusive mindsets, and tangible action are needed from all

Speeches and presentations can reference successful women and their achievements and this can provide great context for the speech or presentation and its audience.

Consider using a powerful and engaging IWD video  to set some context for a speech and presentation. 

Key points to convey

Some engaging angles to elaborate upon may include:

• Many societies have moved on from women having to succeed in a man's world
• Gender stereotypes are being challenged and diverse representation of women is more evident
• There is still a continuing need worldwide for more progressive mindsets and inclusive behaviors to be forged
• There are many examples of gender bias - both conscious and unconscious - and each impacts women
• Collectively everyone everywhere can strive for women's equality and continue to make positive gains
• Equal opportunities aren't enough because equity is different to equality
• What it means to truly include women and ensure a sense of belonging

Setting some interesting historical context

The path to women's equality has been long and challenging, and here are some reasons why. Each stage provided an important focus in forging the gender agenda further along.

• Activism:  In the late 1800's and early 1900's, women activists fought hard for equality. The focus was largely on securing the right to vote and equal pay for equal work. These two issues - women's voice and participation in government; and the gender pay gap - largely remain key priorities well over a century later.  
• Feminism: Fast-forward to the 1970's and widespread feminist action saw women rallying, protesting and lobbying hard for inclusion, influence and equality. Feminists faced many challenges - systemic and societal - not only from opposing men, but also from other women.  
• Fix the women:  The 1980's saw an array of "Fix the Women" programs that were well-meaning in trying to help women become more confident, visible, well-networked and assertive - but many reinforced a notion that women needed to "act like men" and "fit" into existing patriarchal structures and organizations if they were to succeed (all while still being a superwoman in the home). Shoulder pads, power suits, high heels and a loud voice were in fashion.  
• Change the organization - The 1990's and noughties focused on organizational development: "Maybe if we change or fix the organizational structures, women will thrive?" So a focus on areas like 'women in the boardroom' escalated, as did more diverse recruiting, inclusive talent pipelines, and attention to wider diversity groups beyond gender such as race, LGBT+ and so forth. The introduction of "Top Company" and "Top Women" style lists occurred and as they increased in popularity, the number of new lists launched each year increased exponentially. The number of women's awards, conferences and networks also increased significantly - and continue to play an important and necessary role across all countries. The volume of gender-related research also increased - new insight, new terms and understandings, new phrases, measurement of the extent of problems or success; hard facts and numbers; incremental data.  
• Diversity & Inclusion: The 20-teens's saw an increasing focus on intersectional feminism and the important role that diversity and inclusion play in forging an equal world. "Men as allies" (i.e. men as advocates and champions of change), with this being recognized as a major element in accelerating women's equality. Many progressive CEOs and influential leaders have committed via formal public channels to helping build diverse and inclusive organizations that challenge stereotypes and bias. Furthermore, the global rise of social media provided a greater voice to groups often marginalized or sidelined from positions of power. Increasingly the global collective conversation for feminism continued to open up and grow. Understanding, challenging and calling out gender stereotypes, bias and discrimination became more prevalent. In 2013,  Lean In was founded to provide community, education and resources to support women's development, with an annual Women in the Workplace Study conducted with McKinsey & Company. The #MeToo movement (founded by activist Tarana Burke who coined the term “MeToo” in 2006) gained widespread attention in 2017 when actress Alyssa Milano urged victims of sexual harassment and assault to share their stories on social media. A global wave of activism and much needed change ensued. Much ground was made in the 20-teens, yet there was still a lot more to do.  
• The world expects diversity, equity and inclusivity: And so here we are in the 2020's. The significant global rise in International Women's Day activity in every corner of the world - along with the many female-focused campaigns and initiatives worldwide - means gender is firmly on the agenda. As expectations rise and information spreads faster and wider than ever before, organizations face unprecedented scrutiny from candidates, consumers, communities, investors, governments, and the media in terms of their support for and treatment of women. Many employers now publicly publish annual Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) reports and participate in various indices and accolades. 

Gender-related conversations and activity are certainly on the rise. Over the years, the term "International Women's Day" was one of the most discussed topic on Facebook by millions (even more than the Super Bowl). And back in 2018, Pantone's 'Color of the Year' was purple (i.e. women's color). Everywhere, gender is on the mainstream radar and impacting the narrative. Stereotypes, discrimination and bias are more likely to be called out. Men's role in society is more varied, and gender roles are more fluid. We are moving to a very exciting time in history where the world now "expects" diversity, equity and inclusion. The world notices its absence and celebrates its presence.

Step back over the years. International Women's Day has seen groups rally around many different focuses. For example, International Women's Day 2016 saw people worldwide being asked to support women's equality and develop an inclusive mindset via a #PledgeforParity. Then for International Women's Day 2017, the world was asked to #BeBoldforChange and identify tangible action to help accelerate gender parity. International Women's Day 2018 saw a massive #PressforProgress as the world stepped forward to push the boundaries and go beyond in achieving greater equality for women. International Women's Day 2019 saw& groups continue to play a critical role in helping forge a more gender-balanced world as we worked towards a #BalanceforBetter. International Women's Day 2020, amidst the pandemic, saw an important wave of collective individualism as we all strived to be #EachforEqual - because we know that an equal world is an enabled world. Then in 2021, we saw widespread global adoption of the #ChooseToChallenge campaign theme as groups committed to actively watching for and calling out inequity. In 2022, we stepped up and increased awareness of the significant impact that bias has on women's equality - both conscious and unconscious bias. We need to recognize it, and call it out, and so we called to everyone to #BreakTheBias. In 2023, the world truly made a massive effort to understand the difference between equity and equality , and why treating everyone the same can be discriminatory, and why in fact equal opportunities aren't enough. As such, the world saw a considerable narrative about why and how to #EmbraceEquity.

And so now for 2024, here we are living in a world that's incredibly turbulent, complex and exciting. The IWD 2024 campaign theme focuses on a global request to #InspireInclusion because when we inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion, we forge a better world. And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment. So the aim of the IWD 2024  #InspireInclusion   campaign is to collectively forge a more inclusive world for women.

Insightful statistics to include

Download the Women in the Workplace Report  report to gain a sense of where women are at on the long road to equality.

Or download the Global Gender Gap report  that reinforces the growing urgency for action.

Whether covering the rise of women creatives, the work of women film directors, the status of equal pay, scientific prizes awarded to women, the number of women leading in government, or women in the boardroom - insightful statistics and associated visuals are very engaging.

It is also worthwhile to refer to a summary of actions countries have taken around the world to help forge women's equality. 

Use your voice and power on International Women's Day

Via  Influential speakers  and highly engaged audiences, International Women's Day has a global following with a shared purpose.

Let's use the opportunity of International Women's Day speeches and presentations to truly forge the gender agenda further and to make positive gains for women and girls worldwide.

Report abuse or error

Reference: 13509

Join the IWD Community

International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.

IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. IWD is not country, group or organization specific.

#IWD2024 #InspireInclusion

About IWD IWD Theme IWD Events IWD Missions IWD Gallery IWD Resources IWD Statements IWD Fundraising Prime Employers

IWD Opportunities Home Contact Site search Terms Privacy Cookies IWD Speakers IWD Suppliers

Charities of Choice: WAGGGS Catalyst Fundraising

Talk to our experts

1800-120-456-456

• International Women's Day Speech

International Women's Day Speech In English For Students

Celebrating Women, whether professionally or personally, is a sense of commitment to each and every Woman in one's life. Every year on March 8, International Women's Day is commemorated. In much of the country, the Day has been declared a National holiday. Women from all walks of life gather together around the country, spanning cultural and ethnic divides, to commemorate their battle for peace, justice, equality, and progress. International Women's Day is all about valuing oneself and realising one's full potential. Aside from that, Women need to summon the fortitude to overcome all obstacles in all areas of life in order to achieve significant progress. It is a common misconception in society that Women's problems are unimportant.

Vedantu salutes all the Women out there who are doing wonders all around the Globe and making their Nation proud. Vedantu provides one of the top-notch speeches and essays with the exact formal format in a very comfortable language. Students or anyone who wants to know about International Women’s Day or preparing to deliver a speech on the occasion of International Women’s Day can refer to the content from Vedantu.com.

International Women's Day Speech in English For Students

An Organizer, Administrative Leader, Director, Recreator, Partner, Daughter, Health Officer, Teacher, an Artist- a Woman has various roles to play in her life. To celebrate the importance and significance of Women in every person’s life every year, International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8th March. Women’s Day recognizes and celebrates Women in every field. A Woman has a positive mind and a fierce nature to excel in their respective fields. 

A Women's Day speech in English of 500 words and a short speech on Women's Day of 200 words are given below. 

Women's Day Speech

Greetings to everyone present here. As we all know we are here to celebrate the presence of Women in society and to celebrate their achievements, to celebrate International Women’s Day.

International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8th March every year around the world and it’s the Day dedicated to celebrating Women’s achievements in various Social, Political, and Cultural Fields. 

You must be wondering why Women’s Day is celebrated on 8th March? Well, there is a brief History around it that goes back 109 years. It was in 1909 when a political party of America celebrated 15,000 Women who protested against various issues like low pay scale, equal opportunities, and lack of voting rights in New York city. Originally it was called National Women’s Day and as the news spread annual celebration was done across the world but it was Russia who set the March 8th date. It was in 1975 that the United Nation recognized International Women’s Day and from 1996 International Women’s Day became a theme to celebrate Women in society. 

Now as we know when and who established it now naturally the next question that arises is what is the significance of Women’s Day?. The main aim of Women’s Day is to celebrate the achievements of Women in various fields and the roles they play which could be that they are an Artist, a Teacher, an Administrator, a Politician, or Scientist. It is also important to raise awareness about Women’s rights and gender parity. We can all agree that no country has achieved gender equality yet there are few places where the concept of gender equality does not even exist. Around the world, Women are not given equal opportunities. There are countries where they are denied to raise a point about their lives and how they are treated. Girl child abuse is common in many places where many crimes like child marriages, gender-based are done and all this discrimination a Woman faces is on the basis of one chromosome. 

For ages, men have had more privileges in every aspect of life in society, which could be good pay scale, social status, or voting rights percentage but now we are living in the 21st century and the world is slowly moving towards gender balance. It’s moving towards equality for both men and Women which could include equal pay scale, social status, and equal voting rights for Women. This change is necessary and it is required around the world because we all are humans and equal opportunities and respect should be given to everyone. 

So it is important to have a Day that reaches out and helps in solving all the discriminations that are happening against Women. As we all know how important Women are. They play various roles which could be a caring mother, a daughter, and so on. On this Day, it’s important to show the Women in your life how much you care about them and how much you love them. 

Educational institutions are now open to celebrate Women’s Day. It’s a sign of progress and they are teaching students to honor and respect a Woman. 

I want to conclude my speech by saying that International Women’s Day is dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women in social, cultural, and political fields. The Day formed by Women helps in bringing attention towards the forgotten Women’s rights and gender parity in a few places around the world. It should be considered a Day where everyone acknowledges the value and the importance of Women in our lives and all around the world. Thank you. 

Short Speech on Women's Day

We are here to celebrate the presence of Women in society and to celebrate their achievements. We are here to celebrate International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8th March every year around the world. It is considered to be an important point in the movement of Women’s rights. It is the Day when Women in our lives are recognized for their achievements in their respective fields, which could be an Artist, a Teacher, in Health Care, or an Administrative Leader. 

Celebration of Women’s Day totally ranges from being a public holiday in countries like Afghanistan to being a protest against the injustice done on Women in a few places. To summarize. It’s the Day to celebrate Womanhood around the world. 

As we all know there are few countries where Women are not given equal opportunities and their only role is considered to take care of the house. However, this needs to change because every Woman deserves to shine and equal opportunity should be given to a Woman as it’s given to a Man. 

For ages, Men have had more privileges in every aspect of life in a society which could be pay scale, social status, or voting rights percentage. We are living in the 21st century and the world is slowly moving towards gender balance. It’s moving towards equality for both men and Women which could include equal pay scale, social status, and equal voting rights for Women. This change is necessary and it is required around the world because we all are humans and equal opportunities and respect should be given to everyone. 

I want to conclude my speech by saying that International Women’s Day is dedicated to celebrating the achievements of Women in social, cultural, and political fields. The Day formed by Women helps in bringing attention towards the forgotten Women’s rights and gender parity in few places around the world. It should be considered a Day where everyone acknowledges the value and the importance of Women in our lives and all around the world. 

 10 Lines on International Women's Day Speech

International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8th March every year around the world.

It’s the Day dedicated to celebrating Women’s achievements in various social, political, and cultural fields.

The history of why Women’s Day is celebrated goes back to 109 years.  

In 1909 when a sociopolitical party of America celebrated 15,000 Women who protested against various issues like low pay scale, equal opportunities, and lack of voting rights in New york city.

In 1975 the United Nations recognized International Women’s Day and from 1996 International Women’s Day became a theme to celebrate Women in society. 

It is also important to raise awareness about Women’s rights and gender parity.

Female foeticide, child marriage, not giving oppurtunities to study, Child abuse, and rapes are the crimes committed against girl child and Women. 

The Day formed by Women helps in bringing attention towards the forgotten Women’s rights and gender parity in few places around the world. 

It is important to have a Day that reaches out and helps in solving all the discriminations that are happening against Women.

Women’s Day should be considered a Day where everyone acknowledges the value and the importance of Women in our lives and all around the world.  

About Women Empowerment

Empowering Women is a big responsibility, but it's also vital for gender equality. Furthermore, society benefits when Women are treated with respect and are not treated as second-class citizens. Women used to be limited in their houses and were not allowed to leave the house for employment before, but now things have drastically changed.

Their only source of income comes from their domestic obligations. However, civilization has evolved throughout time. Furthermore, this generation has high regard for Women and places a high value on them.

In many sectors, Women are now offered equal opportunities at work and are permitted to compete with, and sometimes even outperform, males. Women have begun to recognise their skills and abilities, and they are ready to walk out of their homes and contribute to the prosperity of their families and society as a whole.

Women are undoubtedly turning the world's attention to them. Also, it was previously impossible, but it is now doable, and they are doing so now. Women are achieving incredible heights and even travelling to space, as can be seen.

Furthermore, they are joining every field and succeeding in all of them, demonstrating their abilities. The most efficient approach to enhance communities, corporations, and countries is for Women to participate.

Furthermore, Women's participation strengthens peace accords, strengthens society, and makes economies more dynamic.

FAQs on International Women's Day Speech

1. How to conclude an International Women’s Day speech in a concise manner?

Make a solid first impression.

This suggestion may be used in any speech, not just those for Women's Day. A great introduction interests the listener and provides them with a sense of your speech's direction. You can try several starting techniques depending on the circumstances of your speech.

Include facts to back up your claims.

When crafting a speech about gender equality in school, work, and other areas, you should include relevant facts. Being as informative as possible is usually a good idea. This demonstrates that you completed your homework and are thus credible.

Keep an eye on the structure.

The structure of a speech is quite important. Unlike something written, your audience won't be able to go back to what you said if they get lost.

2. Why is Women's Day celebrated?

International Women's Day is a time to celebrate progress toward gender equality and Women's empowerment, as well as to critically reflect on those achievements and seek more momentum toward gender equality throughout the world. It's a Day to celebrate Women's outstanding achievements and to unite as a force to advance gender equality throughout the world. Empowering Women is a big responsibility, but it's also vital for gender equality. Furthermore, society benefits when Women are treated with respect and are not treated as second-class citizens. Women used to be limited in their houses and were not allowed to leave the house for employment.

3. When is Women's Day celebrated? 

On March 8th, we commemorate International Women's Day around the world to highlight Women's accomplishments in numerous sectors. This event honours the achievements of female individuals who have excelled in their respective disciplines. Women have undoubtedly contributed greatly to the well-being of society and the country since then. Moreover, Women's Day holds a great deal of significance, and it has become a yearly tradition. Furthermore, this commemoration is a show of respect, love, and concern for Women in our lives and in society.

In addition, Women's Day is also being observed in schools and universities. This will teach respect and care for Women in the minds of future generations, beginning with their youth.

4. How did Women’s Day come into consideration?

International Women's Day originated from the efforts of labor organizations across North America and Europe at the start of the twentieth century. The Socialist Party of America established the inaugural National Woman's Day on February 28, 1909, in remembrance of the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York, during which Women protested against poor working conditions. On the final Sunday in February in 1917, Russian Women opted to protest and strike under the slogan "Bread and Peace" (which fell on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar). Their campaign eventually resulted in the implementation of Women's suffrage in Russia.

5. How was International Women’s Day adopted by the United Nations?

The United Nations Charter became the first International accord to recognize the ideal of gender equality in 1945. In 1975, during International Women's Year, the United Nations commemorated the first official International Women's Day on March 8th. Two years later, in December 1977, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution declaring a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace, to be marked by the Member States on any day of the year in line with their historical and national traditions.

Speech: Women leaders – decisive, effective and inclusive

Opening remarks by un women executive director sima bahous at the inaugural meeting of the un general assembly platform of women leaders: “transformative solutions by women leaders to today’s interlinked challenges”..

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to LinkedIn
• Share to E-mail

[As delivered]

On behalf of UN Women, it is my honour and great pleasure today to join their Excellencies President Kőrösi of the 77 th  session of the General Assembly, and President Shahid of the 76 th  session of the General Assembly, in welcoming this exemplary group of leaders to the first meeting of the United Nation General Assembly Platform of Women Leaders.

Thank you President Kőrösi for putting a spotlight on the power of women’s leadership at the opening of today’s General Assembly. And thank you, President Shahid, for inspiring the launch of this platform. It is also an honour to share this platform with our moderator, Helen Clark, also a former woman Head of Government—and an inspiring leader. I am also grateful for the cooperation of the Council of Women World Leaders, our partners in launching this UN General Assembly Platform of Women Leaders.

The initiative behind this Platform is fueled by a shared commitment to placing gender equality at the forefront of the multilateral arena, not only as a matter of human rights, but also because it is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.  

Never has the opportunity to gather so many powerful women world leaders been so timely and so critical. But we all know that when it comes to women in political decision-making, equality is still far off. Women represent only 1 in 4 members of parliament worldwide and are just 34 per cent of those elected to local governments. And higher up the echelons of power, women are fewer in numbers. They are less than 10 per cent of Heads of State and Government. And more than 100 countries have never had a woman executive. This is why we see so few women in power at this venue—the High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly.

In 2020, only 4 per cent of speakers during the General Assembly were women, which Fortune magazine dubbed “the ultimate man-el.” As the Deputy Secretary-General recalled, with this pace, gender parity for the Heads of State and Government will not be reached for another 130 years. We cannot wait that long.  If we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we must redouble our efforts for gender equality. We must increase women’s leadership, and we must continue to push for spaces that amplify the voices of women. We know that gender equal societies are more peaceful and more prosperous.

Conflict, the climate crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic threaten our planet and all its people more than ever. Today, we have the roadmap. We know that balanced leadership is the key to unlock our common challenges. What we need now is increased political will and the full range of women’s life experiences and leadership talents.

UN Women remains your unwavering partner as you take these challenges head-on as women leaders often do: decisively, effectively, and inclusively.

I thank you.

• Executive Director
• Decision-making
• Gender equality and women’s empowerment
• Governance and national planning
• Leadership and political participation

Related content

In the Pacific coast of Colombia, guardians of the mangrove sow seeds of change

Speech: Gender equality – just, prudent, and essential for everything we all aspire to

Pushing forward for gender equality: CSW68 event showcases strategies for countering pushback and advancing women’s rights around the world

How it works

Transform your enterprise with the scalable mindsets, skills, & behavior change that drive performance.

Explore how BetterUp connects to your core business systems.

We pair AI with the latest in human-centered coaching to drive powerful, lasting learning and behavior change.

Build leaders that accelerate team performance and engagement.

Unlock performance potential at scale with AI-powered curated growth journeys.

Build resilience, well-being and agility to drive performance across your entire enterprise.

Transform your business, starting with your sales leaders.

Unlock business impact from the top with executive coaching.

Foster a culture of inclusion and belonging.

Accelerate the performance and potential of your agencies and employees.

See how innovative organizations use BetterUp to build a thriving workforce.

Discover how BetterUp measurably impacts key business outcomes for organizations like yours.

A demo is the first step to transforming your business. Meet with us to develop a plan for attaining your goals.

• What is coaching?

Learn how 1:1 coaching works, who its for, and if it's right for you.

Accelerate your personal and professional growth with the expert guidance of a BetterUp Coach.

Types of Coaching

Navigate career transitions, accelerate your professional growth, and achieve your career goals with expert coaching.

Enhance your communication skills for better personal and professional relationships, with tailored coaching that focuses on your needs.

Find balance, resilience, and well-being in all areas of your life with holistic coaching designed to empower you.

Discover your perfect match : Take our 5-minute assessment and let us pair you with one of our top Coaches tailored just for you.

Research, expert insights, and resources to develop courageous leaders within your organization.

Best practices, research, and tools to fuel individual and business growth.

View on-demand BetterUp events and learn about upcoming live discussions.

The latest insights and ideas for building a high-performing workplace.

• BetterUp Briefing

The online magazine that helps you understand tomorrow's workforce trends, today.

Innovative research featured in peer-reviewed journals, press, and more.

Founded in 2022 to deepen the understanding of the intersection of well-being, purpose, and performance

We're on a mission to help everyone live with clarity, purpose, and passion.

Join us and create impactful change.

Read the buzz about BetterUp.

Meet the leadership that's passionate about empowering your workforce.

For Business

For Individuals

How to write a speech that your audience remembers

Whether in a work meeting or at an investor panel, you might give a speech at some point. And no matter how excited you are about the opportunity, the experience can be nerve-wracking . 

But feeling butterflies doesn’t mean you can’t give a great speech. With the proper preparation and a clear outline, apprehensive public speakers and natural wordsmiths alike can write and present a compelling message. Here’s how to write a good speech you’ll be proud to deliver.

What is good speech writing?

Good speech writing is the art of crafting words and ideas into a compelling, coherent, and memorable message that resonates with the audience. Here are some key elements of great speech writing:

• It begins with clearly understanding the speech's purpose and the audience it seeks to engage. 
• A well-written speech clearly conveys its central message, ensuring that the audience understands and retains the key points. 
• It is structured thoughtfully, with a captivating opening, a well-organized body, and a conclusion that reinforces the main message. 
• Good speech writing embraces the power of engaging content, weaving in stories, examples, and relatable anecdotes to connect with the audience on both intellectual and emotional levels. 

Ultimately, it is the combination of these elements, along with the authenticity and delivery of the speaker , that transforms words on a page into a powerful and impactful spoken narrative.

What makes a good speech?

A great speech includes several key qualities, but three fundamental elements make a speech truly effective:

Clarity and purpose

Remembering the audience, cohesive structure.

While other important factors make a speech a home run, these three elements are essential for writing an effective speech.

The main elements of a good speech

The main elements of a speech typically include:

• Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your speech and grabs the audience's attention. It should include a hook or attention-grabbing opening, introduce the topic, and provide an overview of what will be covered.
• Opening/captivating statement: This is a strong statement that immediately engages the audience and creates curiosity about the speech topics.
• Thesis statement/central idea: The thesis statement or central idea is a concise statement that summarizes the main point or argument of your speech. It serves as a roadmap for the audience to understand what your speech is about.
• Body: The body of the speech is where you elaborate on your main points or arguments. Each point is typically supported by evidence, examples, statistics, or anecdotes. The body should be organized logically and coherently, with smooth transitions between the main points.
• Supporting evidence: This includes facts, data, research findings, expert opinions, or personal stories that support and strengthen your main points. Well-chosen and credible evidence enhances the persuasive power of your speech.
• Transitions: Transitions are phrases or statements that connect different parts of your speech, guiding the audience from one idea to the next. Effective transitions signal the shifts in topics or ideas and help maintain a smooth flow throughout the speech.
• Counterarguments and rebuttals (if applicable): If your speech involves addressing opposing viewpoints or counterarguments, you should acknowledge and address them. Presenting counterarguments makes your speech more persuasive and demonstrates critical thinking.
• Conclusion: The conclusion is the final part of your speech and should bring your message to a satisfying close. Summarize your main points, restate your thesis statement, and leave the audience with a memorable closing thought or call to action.
• Closing statement: This is the final statement that leaves a lasting impression and reinforces the main message of your speech. It can be a call to action, a thought-provoking question, a powerful quote, or a memorable anecdote.
• Delivery and presentation: How you deliver your speech is also an essential element to consider. Pay attention to your tone, body language, eye contact , voice modulation, and timing. Practice and rehearse your speech, and try using the 7-38-55 rule to ensure confident and effective delivery.

While the order and emphasis of these elements may vary depending on the type of speech and audience, these elements provide a framework for organizing and delivering a successful speech.

How to structure a good speech

You know what message you want to transmit, who you’re delivering it to, and even how you want to say it. But you need to know how to start, develop, and close a speech before writing it. 

Think of a speech like an essay. It should have an introduction, conclusion, and body sections in between. This places ideas in a logical order that the audience can better understand and follow them. Learning how to make a speech with an outline gives your storytelling the scaffolding it needs to get its point across.

Here’s a general speech structure to guide your writing process:

• Explanation 1
• Explanation 2
• Explanation 3

How to write a compelling speech opener

Some research shows that engaged audiences pay attention for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Other estimates are even lower, citing that people stop listening intently in fewer than 10 minutes . If you make a good first impression at the beginning of your speech, you have a better chance of interesting your audience through the middle when attention spans fade. 

Implementing the INTRO model can help grab and keep your audience’s attention as soon as you start speaking. This acronym stands for interest, need, timing, roadmap, and objectives, and it represents the key points you should hit in an opening. 

Here’s what to include for each of these points: 

• Interest : Introduce yourself or your topic concisely and speak with confidence . Write a compelling opening statement using relevant data or an anecdote that the audience can relate to.
• Needs : The audience is listening to you because they have something to learn. If you’re pitching a new app idea to a panel of investors, those potential partners want to discover more about your product and what they can earn from it. Read the room and gently remind them of the purpose of your speech. 
• Timing : When appropriate, let your audience know how long you’ll speak. This lets listeners set expectations and keep tabs on their own attention span. If a weary audience member knows you’ll talk for 40 minutes, they can better manage their energy as that time goes on. 
• Routemap : Give a brief overview of the three main points you’ll cover in your speech. If an audience member’s attention starts to drop off and they miss a few sentences, they can more easily get their bearings if they know the general outline of the presentation.
• Objectives : Tell the audience what you hope to achieve, encouraging them to listen to the end for the payout. 

Writing the middle of a speech

The body of your speech is the most information-dense section. Facts, visual aids, PowerPoints — all this information meets an audience with a waning attention span. Sticking to the speech structure gives your message focus and keeps you from going off track, making everything you say as useful as possible.

Limit the middle of your speech to three points, and support them with no more than three explanations. Following this model organizes your thoughts and prevents you from offering more information than the audience can retain. 

Using this section of the speech to make your presentation interactive can add interest and engage your audience. Try including a video or demonstration to break the monotony. A quick poll or survey also keeps the audience on their toes. 

Wrapping the speech up

To you, restating your points at the end can feel repetitive and dull. You’ve practiced countless times and heard it all before. But repetition aids memory and learning , helping your audience retain what you’ve told them. Use your speech’s conclusion to summarize the main points with a few short sentences.

Try to end on a memorable note, like posing a motivational quote or a thoughtful question the audience can contemplate once they leave. In proposal or pitch-style speeches, consider landing on a call to action (CTA) that invites your audience to take the next step.

How to write a good speech

If public speaking gives you the jitters, you’re not alone. Roughly 80% of the population feels nervous before giving a speech, and another 10% percent experiences intense anxiety and sometimes even panic. 

The fear of failure can cause procrastination and can cause you to put off your speechwriting process until the last minute. Finding the right words takes time and preparation, and if you’re already feeling nervous, starting from a blank page might seem even harder.

But putting in the effort despite your stress is worth it. Presenting a speech you worked hard on fosters authenticity and connects you to the subject matter, which can help your audience understand your points better. Human connection is all about honesty and vulnerability, and if you want to connect to the people you’re speaking to, they should see that in you.

1. Identify your objectives and target audience

Before diving into the writing process, find healthy coping strategies to help you stop worrying . Then you can define your speech’s purpose, think about your target audience, and start identifying your objectives. Here are some questions to ask yourself and ground your thinking : 

• What purpose do I want my speech to achieve? 
• What would it mean to me if I achieved the speech’s purpose?
• What audience am I writing for? 
• What do I know about my audience? 
• What values do I want to transmit? 
• If the audience remembers one take-home message, what should it be? 
• What do I want my audience to feel, think, or do after I finish speaking? 
• What parts of my message could be confusing and require further explanation?

2. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for tailoring your speech effectively. Consider the demographics of your audience, their interests, and their expectations. For instance, if you're addressing a group of healthcare professionals, you'll want to use medical terminology and data that resonate with them. Conversely, if your audience is a group of young students, you'd adjust your content to be more relatable to their experiences and interests. 

3. Choose a clear message

Your message should be the central idea that you want your audience to take away from your speech. Let's say you're giving a speech on climate change. Your clear message might be something like, "Individual actions can make a significant impact on mitigating climate change." Throughout your speech, all your points and examples should support this central message, reinforcing it for your audience.

4. Structure your speech

Organizing your speech properly keeps your audience engaged and helps them follow your ideas. The introduction should grab your audience's attention and introduce the topic. For example, if you're discussing space exploration, you could start with a fascinating fact about a recent space mission. In the body, you'd present your main points logically, such as the history of space exploration, its scientific significance, and future prospects. Finally, in the conclusion, you'd summarize your key points and reiterate the importance of space exploration in advancing human knowledge.

5. Use engaging content for clarity

Engaging content includes stories, anecdotes, statistics, and examples that illustrate your main points. For instance, if you're giving a speech about the importance of reading, you might share a personal story about how a particular book changed your perspective. You could also include statistics on the benefits of reading, such as improved cognitive abilities and empathy.

6. Maintain clarity and simplicity

It's essential to communicate your ideas clearly. Avoid using overly technical jargon or complex language that might confuse your audience. For example, if you're discussing a medical breakthrough with a non-medical audience, explain complex terms in simple, understandable language.

7. Practice and rehearse

Practice is key to delivering a great speech. Rehearse multiple times to refine your delivery, timing, and tone. Consider using a mirror or recording yourself to observe your body language and gestures. For instance, if you're giving a motivational speech, practice your gestures and expressions to convey enthusiasm and confidence.

8. Consider nonverbal communication

Your body language, tone of voice, and gestures should align with your message . If you're delivering a speech on leadership, maintain strong eye contact to convey authority and connection with your audience. A steady pace and varied tone can also enhance your speech's impact.

9. Engage your audience

Engaging your audience keeps them interested and attentive. Encourage interaction by asking thought-provoking questions or sharing relatable anecdotes. If you're giving a speech on teamwork, ask the audience to recall a time when teamwork led to a successful outcome, fostering engagement and connection.

10. Prepare for Q&A

Anticipate potential questions or objections your audience might have and prepare concise, well-informed responses. If you're delivering a speech on a controversial topic, such as healthcare reform, be ready to address common concerns, like the impact on healthcare costs or access to services, during the Q&A session.

By following these steps and incorporating examples that align with your specific speech topic and purpose, you can craft and deliver a compelling and impactful speech that resonates with your audience.

Tools for writing a great speech

There are several helpful tools available for speechwriting, both technological and communication-related. Here are a few examples:

• Word processing software: Tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other word processors provide a user-friendly environment for writing and editing speeches. They offer features like spell-checking, grammar correction, formatting options, and easy revision tracking.
• Presentation software: Software such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides is useful when creating visual aids to accompany your speech. These tools allow you to create engaging slideshows with text, images, charts, and videos to enhance your presentation.
• Speechwriting Templates: Online platforms or software offer pre-designed templates specifically for speechwriting. These templates provide guidance on structuring your speech and may include prompts for different sections like introductions, main points, and conclusions.
• Rhetorical devices and figures of speech: Rhetorical tools such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and parallelism can add impact and persuasion to your speech. Resources like books, websites, or academic papers detailing various rhetorical devices can help you incorporate them effectively.
• Speechwriting apps: Mobile apps designed specifically for speechwriting can be helpful in organizing your thoughts, creating outlines, and composing a speech. These apps often provide features like voice recording, note-taking, and virtual prompts to keep you on track.
• Grammar and style checkers: Online tools or plugins like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor help improve the clarity and readability of your speech by checking for grammar, spelling, and style errors. They provide suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, and overall tone.
• Thesaurus and dictionary: Online or offline resources such as thesauruses and dictionaries help expand your vocabulary and find alternative words or phrases to express your ideas more effectively. They can also clarify meanings or provide context for unfamiliar terms.
• Online speechwriting communities: Joining online forums or communities focused on speechwriting can be beneficial for getting feedback, sharing ideas, and learning from experienced speechwriters. It's an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and improve your public speaking skills through collaboration.

Remember, while these tools can assist in the speechwriting process, it's essential to use them thoughtfully and adapt them to your specific needs and style. The most important aspect of speechwriting remains the creativity, authenticity, and connection with your audience that you bring to your speech.

5 tips for writing a speech

Behind every great speech is an excellent idea and a speaker who refined it. But a successful speech is about more than the initial words on the page, and there are a few more things you can do to help it land.

Here are five more tips for writing and practicing your speech:

1. Structure first, write second

If you start the writing process before organizing your thoughts, you may have to re-order, cut, and scrap the sentences you worked hard on. Save yourself some time by using a speech structure, like the one above, to order your talking points first. This can also help you identify unclear points or moments that disrupt your flow.

2. Do your homework

Data strengthens your argument with a scientific edge. Research your topic with an eye for attention-grabbing statistics, or look for findings you can use to support each point. If you’re pitching a product or service, pull information from company metrics that demonstrate past or potential successes. 

Audience members will likely have questions, so learn all talking points inside and out. If you tell investors that your product will provide 12% returns, for example, come prepared with projections that support that statement.

3. Sound like yourself

Memorable speakers have distinct voices. Think of Martin Luther King Jr’s urgent, inspiring timbre or Oprah’s empathetic, personal tone . Establish your voice — one that aligns with your personality and values — and stick with it. If you’re a motivational speaker, keep your tone upbeat to inspire your audience . If you’re the CEO of a startup, try sounding assured but approachable. 

4. Practice

As you practice a speech, you become more confident , gain a better handle on the material, and learn the outline so well that unexpected questions are less likely to trip you up. Practice in front of a colleague or friend for honest feedback about what you could change, and speak in front of the mirror to tweak your nonverbal communication and body language .

5. Remember to breathe

When you’re stressed, you breathe more rapidly . It can be challenging to talk normally when you can’t regulate your breath. Before your presentation, try some mindful breathing exercises so that when the day comes, you already have strategies that will calm you down and remain present . This can also help you control your voice and avoid speaking too quickly.

How to ghostwrite a great speech for someone else

Ghostwriting a speech requires a unique set of skills, as you're essentially writing a piece that will be delivered by someone else. Here are some tips on how to effectively ghostwrite a speech:

• Understand the speaker's voice and style : Begin by thoroughly understanding the speaker's personality, speaking style, and preferences. This includes their tone, humor, and any personal anecdotes they may want to include.
• Interview the speaker : Have a detailed conversation with the speaker to gather information about their speech's purpose, target audience, key messages, and any specific points they want to emphasize. Ask for personal stories or examples they may want to include.
• Research thoroughly : Research the topic to ensure you have a strong foundation of knowledge. This helps you craft a well-informed and credible speech.
• Create an outline : Develop a clear outline that includes the introduction, main points, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Share this outline with the speaker for their input and approval.
• Write in the speaker's voice : While crafting the speech, maintain the speaker's voice and style. Use language and phrasing that feel natural to them. If they have a particular way of expressing ideas, incorporate that into the speech.
• Craft a captivating opening : Begin the speech with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a relevant quote, an interesting fact, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question.
• Organize content logically : Ensure the speech flows logically, with each point building on the previous one. Use transitions to guide the audience from one idea to the next smoothly.
• Incorporate engaging stories and examples : Include anecdotes, stories, and real-life examples that illustrate key points and make the speech relatable and memorable.
• Edit and revise : Edit the speech carefully for clarity, grammar, and coherence. Ensure the speech is the right length and aligns with the speaker's time constraints.
• Seek feedback : Share drafts of the speech with the speaker for their feedback and revisions. They may have specific changes or additions they'd like to make.
• Practice delivery : If possible, work with the speaker on their delivery. Practice the speech together, allowing the speaker to become familiar with the content and your writing style.
• Maintain confidentiality : As a ghostwriter, it's essential to respect the confidentiality and anonymity of the work. Do not disclose that you wrote the speech unless you have the speaker's permission to do so.
• Be flexible : Be open to making changes and revisions as per the speaker's preferences. Your goal is to make them look good and effectively convey their message.
• Meet deadlines : Stick to agreed-upon deadlines for drafts and revisions. Punctuality and reliability are essential in ghostwriting.
• Provide support : Support the speaker during their preparation and rehearsal process. This can include helping with cue cards, speech notes, or any other materials they need.

Remember that successful ghostwriting is about capturing the essence of the speaker while delivering a well-structured and engaging speech. Collaboration, communication, and adaptability are key to achieving this.

Give your best speech yet

Learn how to make a speech that’ll hold an audience’s attention by structuring your thoughts and practicing frequently. Put the effort into writing and preparing your content, and aim to improve your breathing, eye contact , and body language as you practice. The more you work on your speech, the more confident you’ll become.

The energy you invest in writing an effective speech will help your audience remember and connect to every concept. Remember: some life-changing philosophies have come from good speeches, so give your words a chance to resonate with others. You might even change their thinking.

Boost your speech skills

Enhance your public speaking with personalized coaching tailored to your needs

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

6 presentation skills and how to improve them

10+ interpersonal skills at work and ways to develop them, how to be more persuasive: 6 tips for convincing others, self-management skills for a messy world, how to write an impactful cover letter for a career change, a guide on how to find the right mentor for your career, asking for a raise: tips to get what you’re worth, 9 high-income skills to learn in 2024, show gratitude with “thank you for your leadership and vision” message examples, similar articles, how to write an executive summary in 10 steps, the importance of good speech: 5 tips to be more articulate, how to pitch ideas: 8 tips to captivate any audience, how to give a good presentation that captivates any audience, anxious about meetings learn how to run a meeting with these 10 tips, writing an elevator pitch about yourself: a how-to plus tips, how to make a presentation interactive and exciting, how to write a memo: 8 steps with examples, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

3100 E 5th Street, Suite 350 Austin, TX 78702

• Platform Overview
• Integrations
• Powered by AI
• BetterUp Lead
• BetterUp Manage™
• BetterUp Care™
• Sales Performance
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Case Studies
• Why BetterUp?
• About Coaching
• Find your Coach
• Career Coaching
• Communication Coaching
• Life Coaching
• News and Press
• Leadership Team
• Become a BetterUp Coach
• BetterUp Labs
• Center for Purpose & Performance
• Leadership Training
• Business Coaching
• Contact Support
• Contact Sales
• Privacy Policy
• Acceptable Use Policy
• Trust & Security
• Cookie Preferences

How To Write A Speech That Inspires You Audience: 13 Steps

Learn how to write a speech that will effectively reach your audience.

A good speech is a powerful tool. Effective speeches make people powerful, whether in the hands of a world leader trying to get people to believe their ideology or in the mouth of a teacher trying to inspire students. A well-written speech can lift the hearts of a nation in times of war, inspire people to action when complacency is commonplace, honor someone who has died, and even change a nation’s mind on a particular topic, which, in turn, can change history.

Excellent speech writing is a skill that you must learn. While public speaking may come naturally to some people, the sentence structure and nuances of a powerful speech are something you must learn if you are going to gain the audience’s attention.

So how can you learn how to write a speech? The writing process is a little different than the process you’d use to write a paper or essay, so here is a guide that can help.

Materials Needed

Step 1: define your purpose, step 2: determine your audience, step 3: start your research, step 4: choose the right length, step 5: create an outline, step 6: craft the introduction, step 7: write the body, step 8: use transitions, step 9: conclude your speech, step 10: add some spice, step 11. implement spoken language, step 12: edit your speech, step 13: read it out.

• Research materials
• Audience demographic information

Before you can write a speech, you must know the purpose of your speech. You can deliver many types of speeches, and the purpose will determine which one you are giving. While there may be more than these, here are some common types of speeches:

• Informative speech: An informative speech strives to educate the audience on a topic or message. This is the type of speech a teacher gives when delivering a lecture. “ First World Problems ” by Sarah Kwon is an excellent example of an informative speech.
• Entertaining speech: This speech strives to amuse the audience. These are typically short speeches with funny, personal stories woven in. A wedding guest giving a speech at a wedding may be an example of this type of speech.
• Demonstrative speech: This speech demonstrates how to do something to the audience. A company showing how to use a product is delivering this type of speech.
• Persuasive speech: This speech aims to persuade the audience of your particular opinion. Political speeches are commonly persuasive. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “ I Have a Dream ” speech is an example of a persuasive speech, as it called the government to make changes that protected civil and economic rights.
• Oratorical speech: An oratory is a formal speech at an event like a funeral or graduation. The goal is to express an opinion and inspire the audience, but not necessarily to persuade.
• Motivational speech: These speeches inspire people to take action, such as to improve themselves or to feel better and happier. For example, a coach may deliver this kind of speech to his players during halftime to inspire them to win the game. Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address is an excellent example of a motivational speech.
• Eulogy: A Eulogy is a funeral speech. This speech is given to the mourners at someone’s funeral and talks about the excellent character rates of the person who died. “ Eulogy for Rosa Parks ” is a famous example of this type of speech given by Oprah Winfrey in 2015.
• Explanatory speech: This final speech type describes a situation or item. These speeches often have step-by-step instructions on how to do a particular thing.

Your audience members are an essential part of the speech writing process. Consider taking notes about your audience before you start writing your speech. You can even make a fake audience member you are writing toward as you prepare your speech. Even though they do not directly impact what you talk about, they should impact how you talk about it. Therefore, you must write your speech to reach that particular audience.

For example, if you are writing a speech for an audience that does not agree with you, you will need to bring more facts and figures to persuade them of your opinion. On the other hand, if you are writing a speech for an audience already on your side, you must encourage them to hold the line. To get to know your audience, consider factors like:

• Income level
• Pain points
• Questions they might ask

Before you outline or write your speech, you must know some facts about the big idea or speech topic. So perform some research, and take notes. See if you can find any new or surprising information in your research. If it was new and surprising, it also might be to your audience members. You can use this research to make the essential points of your piece.

Finally, know the required length of your speech. Speeches usually have time limits, not word count limits. You will need to know the desired length before you can start writing the speech, or you will end up with a speech that is too long or too short. The length of your speech will vary depending on where you are giving it and who your audience is.

Generally, a 20-minute speech is standard when delivering a speech to adults in a professional or academic setting. However, if you are a student who is preparing a speech for a classroom, you may be limited to three to five minutes. Sometimes speakers will get booked to take on a 60-minute session, but if you talk for 60 minutes, you will lose the attention of some of your audience members.

Remember, some of the most famous speeches in history are very short. President Abraham Lincoln’s “ Gettysburg Address ” was less than 300 words long and took less than two minutes to deliver. President Franklin Roosevelt’s “ Day of Infamy ” speech lasted less than 10 minutes. However, knowing your speech’s length can be challenging after you prepare it. Generally, a double-spaced page of writing will take about 90 seconds to speak. Thus, a 20-minute speech will take about 13 typed, double-spaced pages if you type out your entire speech.

Consider using a words-to-minutes calculator to determine how long your speech likely is. Remember that the average English speaker speaks 140 words a minute. You may get up to 170 words a minute if you speak fast. If your speech is slow, it may be as little as 110 words a minute.

Now you are ready to start writing. Before you write a speech, you must create an outline. Some public speakers will speak from an outline alone, while others will write their speech word-for-word. Both strategies can lead to a successful speech, but both also start with an outline. Your speech’s outline will follow this template:

• Introduction: Introduces your main idea and hooks the reader’s attention.
• Body: Covers two to three main points with transitions.
• Conclusion: Summarizes the speech’s points and drive home your main message.

As you fill in these areas, answer these questions: Who? What? Why? and How? This will ensure you cover all the essential elements your listeners need to hear to understand your topic. Next, make your outline as detailed as you can. Organize your research into points and subpoints. The more detail on your outline, the easier it will be to write the speech and deliver it confidently.

As you prepare your speech, your introduction is where you should spend the most time and think. You only have moments to capture your audience’s attention or see them zone out in front of you. However, if you do it right, you will cause them to turn to you for more information on the topic. In other words, the introduction to a speech may be the most memorable part, so it deserves your attention. Therefore, you must have three main parts:

• Hook: The hook is a rhetorical question, funny story, personal anecdote, or shocking statistic that grabs the listener’s attention and shows them why your speech is worth listening to.
• Thesis: This is your main idea or clear point.
• Road map: You will want to preview your speech outline in the introduction.

Here is an example of a good introduction for a persuasive speech from Jamie Oliver’s TED Talk about children and food:

“Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead from the food that they eat.”

This shocking statistic gets the audience’s attention immediately. In his speech, Oliver details why America’s food choices are so poor, how it affects them, and how we can teach children to do better.

Here is an example of an informative speech about pollution and what can be done about it. This introduction follows the template perfectly.

“I want you to close your eyes for a minute and picture a beautiful oceanfront. The sound of the waves crashing on the sand while seagulls fly overhead. Do you have it? Now I am going to say one word that will destroy that image: Pollution. What changed in your mental picture? Do you now see sea turtles with bottles on their head or piles of debris washing on shore? Marine pollution is a massive problem because plastic does not decompose. Not only does it use up many resources to create, but it rarely gets disposed of properly. We must protect our natural areas, like that beautiful beach. Today I am going to show you how destructive the effects of plastic can be, how it is managing our natural resources, and what steps we can take to improve the situation.”

Now you are ready to write the body of your speech. Draw from your research and flesh out the points stated in your introduction. As you create your body, use short sentences. People can’t listen as long as they can read, so short and sweet sentences are most effective. Continuing the theme of the marine pollution speech, consider this body paragraph.

“You might be thinking plastic isn’t a big deal. Let’s think for a minute that you’re at the beach drinking bottled water. According to “The Problem with Plastic,” an article by Hannah Elisbury, one out of every six plastic water bottles ends up in recycling. The rest become landfill fodder. Worse, many get dropped in nature. Perhaps you are packing up at the end of your beach trip and forget to grab your bottle. Maybe your kid is buried in the sand. Now it’s adding pollutants to the water. That water becomes part of the drinking water supply. It also becomes part of the fish you eat at your favorite seafood restaurant. Just one bottle has big consequences.”

As you write the body, don’t stress making every word perfect. You will revise it later. The main goal is to get your ideas on paper or screen. This body paragraph is effective for two reasons. First, the audience members likely use water bottles, which resonates with them. Second, she uses a resource and names it, which gives your work authority.

It would be best to use transitions to move from each speech section. This keeps the audience engaged and interested. In addition, the transitions should naturally merge into the next section of the speech without abruptness. To transition between points or ideas, use transition words. Some examples include:

• Coupled with
• Following this
• Additionally
• Comparatively
• Correspondingly
• Identically
• In contrast
• For example

You can also use sequence words, like first, second, third, etc., to give the idea of transition from one thought to the next. Make sure your speech has several transition words to drive it through to completion and to keep the audience engaged.

In his speech “ Their Finest Hour ,” Winston Churchill uses transitions well. Here is an excerpt from his conclusion:

“ But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Therefore, let us brace ourselves to our duties and bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour.”

Notice that he uses “therefore,” “so,” and “but.” Each of these transition words effectively moves the speech along.

Your conclusion needs to restate your thesis but differently. It should personalize the speech to the audience, restate your main points and state any key takeaways. Finally, it should leave the audience with a thought to ponder.

Here are some practical ways to end a speech:

• Use a story
• Read a poem
• State an inspirational quote
• Summarize the main points
• Deliver a call to action

Here are some examples of fantastic conclusions:

• Here is an excellent example of a concluding statement for an inspirational graduation speech: “As you graduate, you will face great challenges, but you will also have great opportunities. By embracing all that you have learned here, you will meet them head-on. The best is yet to come!”
• A CEO that is trying to inspire his workforce might conclude a speech like this: “While the past year had challenges and difficulties, I saw you work through them and come out ahead. As we move into the next year, I am confident we will continue to excel. Let’s join hands, and together this can be the best year in company history!”
• In “T he Speech to Go to the Moon, ” President Kennedy concluded this way: “ Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, “Because it is there. Well, space is there, and we’re going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God’s blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked.” Many speechwriters say something like “in conclusion” or “that’s all I have for you today.” This is not necessary. Saying “in conclusion” could cause your audience to stop listening as they anticipate the end of the speech, and stating that you have said all you need to say is just unnecessary.

Now that you have the basic structure, you’re ready to add some spice to your speech. Remember, you aren’t reading a research essay. Instead, you are making an exciting and engaging spoken presentation. Here are some ideas:

• Consider giving your speech some rhythm. For example, change the wording, so it has a pace and cadence.
• Work to remove a passive voice from your sentences where possible. Active speaking is more powerful than passive.
• Use rhetorical questions throughout because they make the listener stop and think for a moment about what you are saying.
• Weave some quotes into your speech. Pulling famous words from other people will make your speech more interesting.
• Where possible, use personal stories. This helps your audience engage with you as the speaker while keeping the speech interesting.

You may not use all of these ideas in your speech, but find some that will work for the type of speech you plan to give. They will make it more exciting and help keep listeners engaged in what you are saying.

Writing a speech is not like writing a paper. While you want to sound educated with proper grammar , you need to write in the way you speak. For many people, this is much different from the way they write. Not only will you use short sentences, but you will also use:

• Familiar vocabulary: This is not the time to start adding scientific terminology to the mix or jargon for your industry that the audience won’t understand. Use familiar vocabulary.
• Transitions: Already discussed, but spoken language uses many transition words. Your speech should, too.
• Personal pronouns: “You” and “I” are acceptable in a speech but not in academic writing.
• Colloquialisms: Colloquialisms are perfectly acceptable in a speech, provided the audience would readily understand them.
• Contractions: We use contractions when we speak, so we also use them in speeches, while some writing platforms and assignments do not allow them.
• Repetition: Repeating words and phrases makes them memorable. This helps emphasize the main ideas and works well in speeches.

Now you are ready to edit your speech. Remember, spoken language is acceptable, but grammar errors may not be ideal. As you edit, pay attention to the length of sentences. Shorten any long ones. Also, watch for those transition words. Add them in if you need to. Remember, a well-written speech takes time. Put in the effort to revise and improve it, and you will be rewarded with an effective speech that is easy to deliver. If you still need help, our guide to grammar and syntax explains more.

Now that you have written your speech, you are ready to read it. Read it out loud at your average speaking speed, and time yourself. This will tell you if you are within your allotted time limit. However, reading it has another benefit. When you read the piece, you can determine if it flows smoothly. You may catch grammar issues or poor transitions that you can change. Look for places where the speech may be hard to speak and adjust those sentences to make them more accessible.

After you update the speech, practice it again. Reading it, revising it, rereading it, and repeating it will help you create a speech that flows well. This process will also help you become familiar with the speech so you can deliver it confidently when your speaking engagement comes.

Looking for inspiration? Read our round-up of argumentative essays !

Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006. She specializes in education content and real estate writing but enjoys a wide gamut of topics. Her goal is to connect with the reader in an engaging, but informative way. Her work has been featured on USA Today, and she ghostwrites for many high-profile companies. As a former teacher, she is passionate about both research and grammar, giving her clients the quality they demand in today's online marketing world.

View all posts

How To Write A Domestic Violence Speech (With Sample Speech)

Hrideep barot.

• Speech Writing

Today, domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women. An average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or other forms of harm by an intimate partner. Imagine that: as you sit here reading this article, 24 people are being hurt by the person that’s supposed to love them.

Domestic violence is not an issue specific to one single country or place. It happens all around the world and can happen to anyone. It’s a worldwide phenomenon, and that means it’s a topic that most people are familiar with.

And yet, even though so many people are familiar with domestic violence, but a few do anything about it–even when they’re the victims themselves. If you’re delivering a speech on domestic violence, this is something that you need to keep in mind.

Writing a speech on a topic as vast as domestic violence can seem like a daunting task. But it doesn’t have to be: writing a speech on domestic violence is just like writing any other speech.

To write an impactful speech on domestic violence, you need to keep in mind a few things like knowing your audience, using simple language, humanizing yourself, and showing–not telling–your speech.

But first: what is domestic violence & why should you write a speech about it?

Domestic Violence: What Is It & Why To Speak About It

In simple terms, domestic violence is violence or other abuse in a domestic setting such as marriage or cohabitation. Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior that an individual in a relationship uses to exert power over the other person.

The most important reason why we need to talk about domestic violence is that the more we talk about domestic violence, the more likely it gets that we will be able to spread awareness about it, be better able to identify abusive behaviors & take active steps to fight it.

This becomes especially important when we realize that many victims of domestic violence don’t realize that they’re victims at all.

Tips For Writing A Speech On Domestic Violence

1. familiarizing with the audience.

Knowing your audience is an integral part of any speech. It becomes even more important when you’re delivering a speech on a topic as sensitive as domestic violence.

So, before you start writing your speech, ask yourself: who am I going to deliver it to? Are the members in the audience victims of domestic violence themselves? Are they survivors of abuse? Or are they simply there to gain more knowledge about it.

The answer to the question is going to be highly important when you sit down to outline your speech.

2. Use Simple Language

If your aim is to spread awareness or reach out to more people with your speech, then your best bet is to use simple language while you’re delivering it.

We get it: complicated-sounding words make you sound smarter. But that’s not the purpose of your speech, is it? Nobody likes to hear complicated jargon. And if they don’t like to hear something, then they probably won’t.

3. Incorporate Stories

Storytelling is a must for any speech. It can take a flat or boring topic to the next level, and cement a speaker in the audience’s mind.

Incorporating stories in a speech about domestic violence is even more important. That’s because stories tend to have a personal impact on the audience’s mind. They also make it more likely that the audience will connect with you .

A story about a sixteen-year-old victim of dowry death, for example, will have a far greater impact than a statistic about how many teenagers die of domestic violence every year.

We’ve made an extensive video on storytelling that you can check out here. The techniques given here can be applied for all types of speeches and help make the presentation more persuasive:

4. Humanize Yourself

For the audience, the speaker and the message are synonymous with each other. If they do not connect with the speaker or feel like the speaker is distant, then they will never be able to connect with the message either.

So, it’s important to humanize yourself in their eyes. There are many ways in which you can do this. Storytelling is one. Humor is another great way to make yourself more approachable. And write your speech like you’re talking to a friend or family member–not to a bunch of robots.

5. Show, Don’t Tell

This is a tip that writers often hear: show the reader what you want them to see, don’t tell it to them. This goes for speechwriting too. You don’t want to simply bombard the audience with facts and statistics. Instead, you want to make them connect with your speech and give them a tangible idea to take back.

The best way to show and not tell is by incorporating stories and examples in your speech. Don’t tell them why domestic violence is horrifying: make them feel why it is.

6. Add A Unique Angle

For a topic such as domestic violence, it’s likely that many speakers have spoken before you. This means that your audience has probably heard about the topic from multiple different channels–like the internet, social media websites, Youtube–before your speech.

If you truly wish to make an impact on your audience’s mind and make your speech memorable for them, then you need to find a unique angle to your speech. While it’s good to take inspiration from other speeches, you don’t want to copy it. Instead, have your own spin on the topic.

How To Start A Speech On Domestic Violence?

There are many ways of starting a speech. A few of them have been listed below:

1. Powerful Phrase

A quintessential way to start a speech would be with the use of a powerful statement or phrase. This catches your audience’s attention right off the bat, and makes it more likely they’ll stick with you for longer.

By 2050, the world as we know it will come to an end.

2. What-If Scenario

Another great way to start a speech on domestic violence is to make the audience imagine something. This will not only make for a killer opening but will also prime your audience by making them engage in your speech right from the beginning.

What if every relationship in the world was an abusive relationship? What if abuse, and not love, was the basis of every relationship?

Storytelling is a quintessential way to start off a speech, and for good reason. Stories are an excellent way to engage your audience in your speech, and to formulate a personal connection with them right off the bat.

I was twenty-one years old when my boyfriend called me a ‘bitch’ and punched me in the face for the first time…

4. Question

A question is another great way to start off a speech. A question gets your audience thinking and makes them more actively engaged in your speech. You can ask the audience a rhetorical question–or even a literal one if you want.

Example: How many of you have had a partner swear at or hit you?

5. S hocking Statistic or Fact

Statistics and facts are another great way to begin your speech. This is because statistics or facts can add shock-value to your speech & immediately draw your audience’s attention where it should be: on what you’re going to say next.

Example: 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence (e.g. beating, burning, strangling) by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

For more information on how to open your speech, check out our article on 10 Of The Best Things To Say In Opening Remarks

Sample Speech On Domestic Violence

Speeh Title: The War Inside Our Homes

“We are at war. In this country and across all the other countries across the world, a war is being waged. Unlike other wars, this one is not a loud war being fought between countries. This is a silent war. A war with a battlefield right inside the comfort of our homes. It is a war against domestic abuse. Like all other wars, the war against domestic abuse is man-made. Domestic abuse isn’t something new or previously unseen. In fact, it’s something that all of us are familiar with. Even if not everybody–thankfully–has a first-hand experience, we all know what domestic violence is. We’ve seen or heard about it before, be it in the news or on the television or even amongst people we know. One in three women and one in four men in the U.S. have reported having experienced rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. And these are only the cases that have been reported: the stories that are buried, the victims that are too afraid–or in too much danger–to speak out, are most often forgotten. “It started after an argument about who’s turn it was to buy milk.” James Harrison, a twenty-five-year-old writer from New York, thought he’d met the love of his life after his first date with his girlfriend-turned-wife-turned-abuser, Amy. Not even a month later, the couple became an official Facebook-couple. Six months later, Amy was kicked out of her job–and then her apartment. James decided to help her out and invited her to live at his apartment–which he shared with his friend–for as long as she wanted. He had no idea he was inviting her to abuse him for over six months–both physically as well as mentally. When asked why he didn’t speak up sooner, he said it was because he was ashamed. “I couldn’t even tell my roommate,” he said. “I was so ashamed of myself.” James isn’t alone. Most often, when we think of domestic abuse, the first image that pops up in our mind is that of a woman being hit by a man. Women are quintessentially perceived as the victims of domestic abuse, and the man the aggressor. While it’s absolutely true that a vast chunk of the victims of domestic abuse is women, men can be victims of domestic abuse too. Determining the rate of violence against men can be difficult, as societal stigma means that men are often reluctant to report abuse or seek help. According to the National Violence Against Women Survey, over 830,000 men experience domestic violence every year. This means that every 37.8 seconds, somewhere in America a man is abused. Domestic abuse is not about size or strength or culture or gender. It doesn’t matter whether you are a man or a woman: abuse is abuse. And domestic violence has been on the rise–without a fall anywhere in sight. United Nations Secretary-General noted the horrifying global surge of domestic abuse and called for a domestic violence “ceasefire”. In many countries across the world, domestic violence reports and emergency calls have increased over 25 percent over the last year–and keep in mind these are only the ’emergencies and worst-case scenarios. For Amitya, it started as verbal insults. Insults that she assumed were harmless because after, all if he wasn’t physically hitting her, it wasn’t abuse, right? Just words. She was wrong. Although she wanted to leave, she had no means of doing so. She was without a job, and completely financially dependent on her husband. Her family had made it clear that they would not support her: if she left her husband, she’d be on the streets. And then what about her daughter? Who would feed her? Who would protect her from the horrors of homelessness? Then, words turned to fists. A month ago, she was rushed to the emergency room and almost lost her life because she couldn’t get a bed for herself. That’s when she knew she had to leave. Because if she didn’t, she–and maybe even her daughter–would die. She is not alone. We are at war. A war against domestic abuse. Whether we lose it or emerge triumphantly, it remains to be seen.”

To sum up, writing a speech on domestic abuse might seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be so. Delivering a speech on domestic violence is just like delivering any other speech. If you keep in mind a few things like knowing your audience, using simple language, humanizing yourself, and showing–not telling–your speech, you can deliver an impactful speech on domestic violence with ease.

Enroll in our transformative 1:1 Coaching Program

Schedule a call with our expert communication coach to know if this program would be the right fit for you

7 Keys to Emcee Like a Pro: Unlock Your Hosting Potential

8 Ways to Rise Above the Noise to Communicate Better

How to Negotiate: The Art of Getting What You Want

• [email protected]
• +91 98203 57888

Get our latest tips and tricks in your inbox always

Copyright © 2023 Frantically Speaking All rights reserved

Kindly drop your contact details so that we can arrange call back

Select Country Afghanistan Albania Algeria AmericanSamoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Rwanda Samoa San Marino Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Tajikistan Thailand Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Wallis and Futuna Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe land Islands Antarctica Bolivia, Plurinational State of Brunei Darussalam Cocos (Keeling) Islands Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Cote d'Ivoire Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Guernsey Holy See (Vatican City State) Hong Kong Iran, Islamic Republic of Isle of Man Jersey Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Lao People's Democratic Republic Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Macao Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Mozambique Palestinian Territory, Occupied Pitcairn Réunion Russia Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan Da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Sao Tome and Principe Somalia Svalbard and Jan Mayen Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tanzania, United Republic of Timor-Leste Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S.

Top 4 Speech On Women’s Empowerment [1-5 Min]

Women empowerment is the process to empower women with their assigned rights and proper place in society. As a part of God’s creation, women have the similar right to live their life freely as anyone on the planet.

What to discuss in the speech on Women’s Empowerment?

Before presenting a speech on women’s empowerment, we need to understand some very essential points related to women and their empowerment. So, What are the points to be covered in the speech? Here is a list of points to keep in mind:

• What is women’s empowerment? (Definition)
• What are women deprived of? (Women’s Rights)
• The present scenario in the Country & World. (Statistics)
• Why is women’s empowerment needed? (Strong Reasons)
• How do we empower women? (Powerful Ways)
• What are the advantages of Women’s Empowerment? (Reasonable Effects)

1 Minute Speech Example

Good Morning to all the people present here. I am here today to deliver a speech on women’s empowerment. Let me start this speech by thanking you all.

Men and women hold equal weight to maintain a society. Both are supplementary to each other but women are deprived of some rights like education, decision-making, doing a job or business etc.

Furthermore, in countries like India, Women are victims of domestic violence and abusive marriages. Most noteworthy, people prefer a son to a daughter. This discrimination against women is very pathetic & needs to be removed as soon as possible.

In some developed countries, women and girls are self-dependent and they can make their own decisions and also can take their own responsibility. Hence, they contribute to the prosperity of the nation too.

Everyone has a different strength. understanding this concept, we should include them in every opportunity so that they can give their best for the community, society, and country.

Thank you again for having me a chance to share my thought on women’s empowerment.

2 Minute Speech Example

Hello, all of you present here.

First of all, I want to wish you all the best wishes for the day and also want to thank you for having me this great opportunity to share my thoughts on a very sensitive topic- “women empowerment”.

So, Imagine the electricity having only a positive charge or only a negative. Could it be possible? The short answer is No. It means both the charge together is only useful or they are equally important. The same goes for human society, Men and women are equally significant. Remove one of these from society, where is society?

Unfortunately, Women get little or no appreciation despite being talented. In male-dominated societies, women are treated as non-existent. They are deprived of some rights like education, decision-making, doing a job or business etc.

If we look at history, we will notice that women have set an example in different fields. But if we observe present conditions, we will discover that women have several limitations on them. Women empowerment is the process of retrieving their proper rights and giving them their proper place and recognition in the society.

In countries like India, Women are victims of domestic violence and abusive marriage. This discrimination against women is very pathetic & needs to be removed as soon as possible. Most noteworthy, people prefer a son to a daughter.

In some developed countries, women and girls are self-dependent and they can make their own decisions and also can take their own responsibility. And they contribute to the prosperity of the nation too.

3 Minute Speech On Women’s Empowerment

As a part of God’s creation, women must get the same rights to live their life freely as anyone on the planet. But since ancient times they are being maltreated and deprived of their rights.

Women empowerment is the process of retrieving their true rights and giving them their proper place and recognition in society.

The very primary problem that women have to face is Gender inequality . In some countries, men and women are treated equally. But still, there are a lot of countries where women are treated uniquely than men. Despite a lot of efforts, our country falls into the second bucket.

Domestic violence and discrimination against women is the second main problem. In rural areas, women are still being abused and beaten by their husbands. Men treat them like their property. Women have usually less access to education, employment, ownership, and many other things. Moreover, They are not allowed to pursue a professional life.

If we talk about the advantages of women’s empowerment, Empowered women are a success key for a family, a society, and also for a country. Educated women can shape their family’s future by giving the right guidance to their children.

Women have the right to vote according to their understanding. So ultimately they can also shape our country’s political structure. They are not intellectually unfit. They also can make healthy decisions like men.

We should take part in supporting women and girls in our society. We can enable them for almost every field that she is prevented from. Women’s education should be made compulsory so that women can become illiterate enough to live their life to full.

There is a lot to say but time is a limited resource & we should respect it. At last, I want to thank you all again for having me this valuable opportunity.

5 Minute Speech On Women’s Empowerment

Good Morning to all the people present here. Special regards to the principal, teachers & friends. I am here today to deliver a speech on women’s empowerment. Let me start this speech by thanking you all for honouring me with this valuable opportunity.

Someone has correctly said, “A woman is like a tea bag—you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” We should include them in every opportunity so that they can give their best for the community, society, and country.

If we look at history, we will notice that women have set an example in different fields. But if we observe present conditions, we will discover that women have several limitations on them. Women empowerment is the process of retrieving their true rights and giving them their proper place and recognition in society.

This is unfortunate that women get little or no appreciation despite being talented. In male-dominated societies, women are treated as non-existent. They are still not allowed to pursue higher education and professional life. They can’t contribute to decision-making for their family.

As human beings, they also hold a similar weight as men. So it is a wake-up call for us to empower women. They should not be maltreated anymore. Women’s empowerment is like a ray of hope for women to bring them to the place to which they are entitled. It will strengthen their willpower.

In our country, women’s empowerment is an issue of conversation only. In other countries, women and girls are self-dependent and they can make their own decisions and also can take responsibility. And this is a reason for those countries to fall into the bucket of developed ones.

Women can contribute to assisting the country as they are the ones who understand the meaning of responsibility. They perform well in almost every aspect of life. Our country is among those which are less secure for females. There is a need for women’s empowerment so that they can take a stand for their rights.

There are a lot of methods to empower women. We should take part in encouraging women and girls in our society. We can allow them for almost every field that she is prevented from. Women’s education should be made necessary so that women can become literate enough to live their life to full.

Child marriage must be prevented and a huge punishment should be inflicted if someone is found involved in it. The government should spread awareness about this among people and encourage them to behave well with their daughters. Girls and women must get provided with free training on how to defend themselves and face problems boldly.

In final words, I want to say that women’s empowerment is a required demand for a better future for the country and to portray the best picture. We don’t have to do much but bring back their proper place. Having a lot of initiatives, our country is still lacking behind in women’s empowerment. We all can make it possible by taking part in encouraging and supporting our girls and women.

Other Speeches To Explore

Importance of time management speech [1,2,3 minutes], speech on ethics and etiquette [1,2,3 minutes], speech about mahatma gandhi jayanti 2023.

• 1 Minute Speech On Health Is Wealth
• 2 Minute Speech On Child Labour
• 1 Minute Speech On Child Labour
• Speech On Nature [ 1-2 minutes ]
• 2 Minute Speech on Importance Of Education
• 1 Minute Speech on Pollution
• 2 Minute Speech on Population Explosion

Related Posts

The Real History of Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman” Speech

Content Warning: This article includes the text of speeches that use outdated and offensive language and reflect stereotypes of Black Americans from the Civil War era.

In late May of 1851, activists assembled in a church in Akron, Ohio, for the Woman’s Rights Convention . The two-day event was a success, so crowded that standing room was hard to find. There were prayers, songs, coverage of topics like the state of women’s labor in America, and many a rousing address—among them one by Sojourner Truth that would come to be known as the “Ain’t I a Woman” speech.

The most famous account of the speech has shaped our conception of the circumstances surrounding Truth’s delivery of it and even of Truth herself. But it wasn’t printed until 1863, and earlier reporting on the convention—including another version of the speech published just weeks after the fact—tells a remarkably different story. In that version, the line “Ain’t I a woman?” doesn’t appear at all.

So which story should we trust?

The Flaws of Frances D. Gage

In spring 1863, The Atlantic published a feature on Sojourner Truth written by Harriet Beecher Stowe , which inspired activist Frances D. Gage to put her own memories of the abolitionist in print. Gage had been the president of the 1851 Woman’s Rights Convention in Akron, and so those memories revolved around Truth’s role in the event.

Gage’s personal essay, published in New York City’s weekly Independent and a handful of other papers that spring, alleged that women’s rights leaders circa 1851 were “staggering under the weight” of disapproval for the movement and wary of anything that could exacerbate the tension. According to Gage, many convention attendees were “almost thrown into panics” when Truth, a Black abolitionist, appeared on the first day, the implication being that linking feminist causes with abolition would spell doom for the former.

The second day was purportedly characterized by “long-winded bombast” from dissenters, “sneerers among the pews,” and an atmosphere that “betokened a storm.” As Truth rose to address the assembly, several people implored Gage to stop her, and “a hissing sound of disapprobation” echoed through the room. Truth then quelled the tension by delivering in “deep wonderful tones” a speech that elicited “roars of applause” and left “more than one of us with streaming eyes beating with gratitude.”

There is ample evidence to suggest that Gage may have exaggerated elements of this story for the sake of a compelling narrative. For one thing, none of more than two dozen contemporary accounts of the convention really corroborates it. Speaker Emma R. Coe described the event’s “spirit of harmony” with not “one discordant note,” and Cleveland’s Herald remarked on the lack of any “sly leer” or “half uttered jest” that readers might picture, especially given that men made up almost half the crowd. Even Gage contradicted herself: While speaking at a national women’s rights convention in 1853, she mentioned that “no one has had a word to say against us” at past conventions, Akron included.

It’s also worth noting that most women’s rights activists supported abolition , and the Akron convention had been publicized in abolitionist newspapers. Not to mention that Black abolitionists—including Truth and Frederick Douglass —had attended and occasionally spoken at previous women’s rights conventions. In short, it couldn’t have been much of a surprise or a scandal that Truth showed up to this one.

As for her treatment in Akron, it’s not hard to believe that white members may have afforded her, a formerly enslaved Black woman who couldn’t read or write, less warmth and enthusiasm than they did each other. Convention co-secretary Hannah Tracy later wrote that she “fear[ed] we did not feel ready to give her as royal a welcome as her merits deserved.” If Truth perceived anything from mild discomfort to outright enmity, though, she didn’t commit it to writing (that we know of). In fact, she expressed in a letter she dictated to fellow abolitionist Amy Post that she “found plenty of kind friends, just like you, & they gave me so many kind invitations I hardly knew which to accept first.”

All that said, the most glaring sign that Gage embellished her account is the speech itself. She wrote it in a dialect associated with Black enslaved people, and Truth had only ever lived in the North; she was born to enslaved parents in Ulster County, New York, and exclusively spoke Dutch for the first nine years of her life. If she had an accent, it was a far cry from the one Gage affected for her, and one widely circulated obituary described her diction as “grammatically correct” and her pronunciation “faultless.”

While there’s nothing incorrect about any way Black Southerners spoke English—an ever-evolving language with many dialects—Gage collapsed all Black Americans into a stereotype by giving Truth a dialect she herself didn’t use. The text is offensive to read, but it’s vital in understanding the extent of Gage’s fabrication.

Frances D. Gage’s Original Text of Sojourner Truth’s Speech

“ ‘Well, chillen, whar dar’s so much racket dar must be som’ting out o’ kilter. I tink dat, ’twixt de n******s of de South and de women at de Norf, all a-talking ’bout rights, de white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what’s all this here takling ’bout? Dat man ober dar say dat woman needs to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have de best places eberywhar. Nobody eber helps me into carriages, or ober mud-puddles, or gives me any best place‘; and, raising herself to her full height, and her voice to a pitch like rolling thunder, she asked, ‘And ar’n’t I a woman? Look at me. Look at my arm,’ and she bared her right arm to the shoulder, showing its tremendous muscular power. ‘I have plowed and planted and gathered into barns, and no man could head me—and ar’n’t I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man (when I could get it), and bear de lash as well—and ar’n’t I a woman? I have borne thirteen chillen, and seen ’em mos’ all sold off into slavery, and when I cried out with a mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard—and ar’n’t I a woman? Den dey talks ’bout dis ting in de head. What dis dey call it?‘ ‘Intellect,’ whispered some one near. ‘Dat’s it, honey. What’s dat got to do with woman’s rights or n*****s’ rights? If my cup won’t hold but a pint and yourn holds a quart wouldn’t ye be mean not to let me have my little half-measure full?’ and she pointed her significant finger and sent a keen glance at the minister who had made the argument. The cheering was long and loud. ‘Den dat little man in black dar, he say woman can’t have as much right as man ’cause Christ wa’n’nt a woman. Whar did your Christ come from? ’

“Rolling thunder could not have stilled that crowd as did those deep, wonderful tones, as she stood there with outstretched arms and eye of fire. Raising her voice still louder, she repeated—

‘Whar did your Christ come from? From God and a woman. Man had not’ing to do with him.’ Oh! what a rebuke she gave the little man. Turning again to another objector, she took up the defence of Mother Eve. I cannot follow her through it all. It was pointed and witty and solemn, eliciting at almost every sentence deafening applause; and she ended by asserting ‘that if de fust woman God ever made was strong enough to turn de world upside down all her one lone, all dese together,’ and she glanced her eye over us, ‘ought to be able to turn it back and git it right side up again, and now dey is asking to, de men better let ’em’ (long continued cheering). ‘Bleeged to ye for hearin’ on me, and now ole Sojourner ha’n’t got nothin’ more to say.’ ”

There’s one detail in here that doesn’t match the historical record. Gage has Truth saying that she bore 13 children and saw most of them sold into slavery, but scholars generally agree that she was likely a mother of five, one of whom was sold into slavery.

If this were the only attempt at reproducing Truth’s speech, we’d have no way of knowing how much of it Truth actually uttered. Fortunately, it wasn’t.

What Marius Robinson Got Right

In spring 1851, married abolitionists Marius and Emily Robinson of Salem, Ohio—a few dozen miles from Akron— welcomed Truth as a houseguest. Both Robinsons participated in the Akron convention, Emily as a speaker and Marius as the recording secretary .

Marius was an editor of the Anti-Slavery Bugle , where he published his transcription of Truth’s speech on June 21, 1851. There is some overlap between his and Gage’s versions. In both, Truth declares herself equal to any man in terms of strength, appetite, and ability to work. She asks why women would be denied their pint of intellect by men who boast a quart; and she mentions that man had no part in the creation of Jesus Christ, who came from God and a woman. Truth also proposes that if God’s first woman was responsible for upsetting the order of the world, women should get a chance to right it.

A couple brief summaries of the speech in other newspapers back up these points and also lend credence to one detail from Gage’s version that Marius didn’t jot down—that Truth elicited laughter from listeners. No report, however, contains a single reference to Gage’s “Ar’n’t I a woman?” (which is most commonly rendered today as “Ain’t I a woman?”).

It’s not completely out of the question that Marius accidentally missed a line; he did say in his report that “It is impossible to transfer [the speech] to paper, or convey any adequate idea of the effect it produced upon the audience. Those only can appreciate it who saw her powerful form, her whole-souled, earnest gesture, and listened to her strong and truthful tones.”

But it is hard to believe that he would have missed “Ar’n’t I a woman?”. Not only was it his job to take notes, but scholars even think it likely that he ran those notes by Truth herself before printing them. Moreover, Gage has Truth saying “Ar’n’t I a woman?” four times.

“Had Truth said it several times in 1851, as in Gage’s article, Marius Robinson, who was familiar with Truth’s diction, most certainly would have noted it,” Nell Irvin Painter wrote in Sojourner Truth: A Life, a Symbol . “If he had an unusually tin ear, he might have missed it once, perhaps even twice. But not four times, as in Gage’s report.”

Marius Robinson’s Original Text of Sojourner Truth’s Speech

“ ‘May I say a few words?’ Receiving an affirmative answer, she proceeded; ‘I want to say a few words about this matter. I am a woman’s rights. I have as much muscle as any man, and can do as much work as any man. I have plowed and reaped and husked and chopped and mowed, and can any man do more than that? I have heard much about the sexes being equal; I can carry as much as any man, and can eat as much too, if I can get it. I am as strong as any man that is now. As for intellect, all I can say is, if woman have a pint and man a quart—why cant she have her little pint full? You need not be afraid to give us our rights for fear we will take too much,—for we cant take more than our pint’ll hold. The poor men seem to be all in confusion, and dont know what to do. Why children, if you have woman’s rights give it to her and you will feel better. You will have your own rights, and they wont be so much trouble. I cant read, but I can hear. I have heard the bible and have learned that Eve caused man to sin. Well if woman upset the world, do give her a chance to set it right side up again. The Lady has spoken about Jesus, how he never spurned woman from him, and she was right. When Lazarus died, Mary and Martha came to him with faith and love and besought him to raise their brother. And Jesus wept—and Lazarus came forth. And how came Jesus into the world? Through God who created him and woman who bore him. Man, where is your part? But the women are coming up blessed be God and a few of the men are coming up with them. But man is in a tight place, the poor slave is on him, woman is coming on him, and he is surely between a hawk and a buzzard.‘ ’

The Woman, the Myth, the Legend

In the end, we can’t even really give Gage credit for making up a great line, misattributed though it (probably) was. As Carleton Mabee and Susan Mabee Newhouse pointed out in Sojourner Truth: Slave, Prophet, Legend , “Ar’n’t I a woman” was “undoubtedly an adaptation of the motto, ‘Am I not a Woman and a Sister?’, which had for many years been a popular antislavery motto.” That itself was a riff on “Am I not a Man and a Brother?”, a mantra of 18th-century British abolitionists. 

For what it’s worth, Gage did write that her transcription was “but a faint sketch” of Truth’s oration. But that doesn’t make it clear that she filled in the blanks with her own flair—and when Gage’s version was reprinted in two seminal books, an 1875 edition of Narrative of Sojourner Truth and 1881’s History of Woman Suffrage, Volume 1 , neither even included the disclaimer.

It’s especially interesting that Gage’s version is featured in Narrative , as Truth herself dictated the original 1850 edition and remained involved in the follow-ups. But she was evidently aware that in published reports of her life, the mythos of Sojourner Truth had begun to eclipse the facts: At an 1871 lecture in Syracuse, New York, she reportedly said that her life story “had growed and growed, and now it was a great book, and there wasn’t a word of truth in it, and what there was that was true was all hind side afore.”

With that in mind, it doesn’t seem so surprising that Truth never set the record straight on the exact syntax of one speech that she had given many years ago and maybe didn’t even remember word for word. That’s not to diminish the importance of preserving her speech as accurately as we can—and plenty of modern sources have platformed Marius Robinson’s version alongside Gage’s to give readers the whole story. The fact that it’s still widely called the “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech, though, is something we might just have to live with.

Learn About Other Famous Speeches:

This article was originally published on mentalfloss.com as The Real History of Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman” Speech .

How to Write a Great GSL MUN Speech – Guide

Speeches in MUN are one of the most important communication tools in Model United Nations . Speeches are where you make your first impression, how your ideas alive and relevant, and an effective way to send messages to allies, opposing blocks, and chairs all at once.

Our “How to write a great MUN Speech” guide will teach you to avoid speaking in generalizations, maximize your speech time, and drive your points home with the desired audience. This guide will start by teaching the CIA method of MUN speech writing, continue with how to write a strong opening speech . Later, we elaborate on strategies for both opening and follow up speeches.

Whether a speech for your opening statement, General Speakers List (GSL), moderated caucus, or any time during a MUN committee session, our guide will help you understand the mechanics to achieve your MUN speech goal!

Introduction

What makes a great MUN speech?

• Appealing to delegates emotions or a solid clash?
• Have an impressive collection of facts or relevant information?
• Strong quotes with historic significance?
• A clear call to action?

It’s extremely important to have a structure to your speech. Each and every point mentioned are important for your MUN speech. It’s how you put them together that makes your speech from good to great. Having a strong quote with no clear call to action will not take you far. Having a coherent clash and solid information with a clear call to action will help take your MUN speech to the next level.

Having the floor to give your MUN speech is extremely valuable, so you want to ensure you utilize your time effectively. Sometimes a MUN speech needs to be very exact to achieve its desired goals while others need more nuance. Make sure you have a clear idea of the messages and concepts you want to convey before you start your speech. 

If you don’t know where you’re going, you might end up exactly where you started.

The CIA Method for MUN speech writing developed by Daniel Gindis to help delegates around the globe make amazing MUN speeches no matter how long you have been doing MUN.

Writing down our MUN speech word for word is a tried and tested strategy for many MUN veterans. Knowing what to write is where it can get a bit tricky at times. No matter if you are writing your opening speech where you are giving off your first impression to the room with your ideas, concepts, policies and strategies, or your later speeches throughout the MUN conference the CIA method will help you with getting that message across. 

Understanding the components which make up the different parts of a MUN speech is what allows a delegate to harness and direct the message how they see fit. When done right, it is not down to ‘luck’, but rather following a method of understanding each of the three components of the CIA speech writing method. Follow this guide for MUN speech writing utilizing the CIA method and your MUNing will never be the same.

CIA stands for Clash, Information and (call to) Action. These three elements are needed for a MUN speech to be maximally effective; missing any of them will significantly weaken a delegate’s speech. A strong CIA speech, combined with proper country representation (See article on ‘ How to Effectively Representing your Country ’), and good coalition work will lead to the most effective type of delegating.

C lash I nformation A ction

Clash – A confrontation of ideas, specifically an important two-sided issue within the topic that you want the committee to discuss.

Information – Relevant facts, ideally numbers, that support other parts of your speech. Information can also be facts about your country that justifies your position.

Action – The practical policy you offer to solve the issue you set up in your clash.

A confrontation of ideas.

Example: We cannot censor people who incite violence in a country with complete freedom of speech.

A clash in MUN would be  – Two opinions in direct opposition on one idea, therefore clashing with each other.

For something to be a clash, delegates from your committee need to be on either side of it. If there are no two sides it is not something the committee will debate and will either unanimously go straight to the unimportant clause section of the resolution or fall entirely out of discussion. Either way, it will not be central to the debate on the floor.

Examples of Clash:

Revoking asylum status for anyone who does not agree to get vaccinated at the border.

Advocating for megacities to have their own independent legal system.

The United Nations should fund water filtration in countries who suffer volcanic eruptions.

In all of these examples, there is a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question. The answer to these questions will be the main one to divide the committee room.

An idea that everyone agrees on is Off Clash. Off Clash statements (Like the Ebola virus is bad or tornados are dangerous) are a waste of precious speech time that could be further used to develop your Clash or Call to Action. (More on Clash and Off Clash in the expanded explanation below)

How do you select a clash when preparing?

Some topics have many possible clashes. In those cases, you should choose the one you feel will be more relevant to the discussion.

Example - World Health Organization

Committee : World Health Organization

Topic: Combating the Zika Virus

Clash 1: Increase the number of doctors sent to Peru to treat Zika.

Clash 2: Remove patent restriction to let countries locally develop medicines to counter Zika.

Clash 3: Suggest countries around the world teach children about the world’s top deadliest diseases.

Combating Zika is an Off Clash topic. No one will say the Zika virus is a good thing. To find the Clash you need to go one level deeper and decide what type of discussion will best serve our country’s interests.

It is clear that Clash 3 will save the least leaves and bring the least immediate benefit. It will also likely get little or no discussion time.

When choosing between Clash 1 and Clash 2, Paraguay would open for Clash 2, as creating generic medicines would be cheaper not only for fighting Zika but could also make medical treatment cheaper across the board. This idea would also be of interest to Angola, who faces similar constraints on creating generic medicines, even though they do not have the Zika virus. As a rule of thumb, it is better to choose a clash that is not only relevant to your country but many others can also agree with.

Information

Information = Hard facts that support your case

A strong MUN speech needs to have relevant facts and numbers that support parts of your speech .

Without information, your fellow delegates can only rely on your word, which might not give enough credibility to what you have to say. Numbers, names, dates and hard facts show what we are saying exists in the real world and is not an opinion. Numbers are the best form of information to use and the hardest to argue with.

Information does not exist in a vacuum. There is no such thing as facts for fact’s sake. 

Information in a CIA speech always does one of the following:

• Supports why your Clash is the most relevant
• Shows why your Call to Action is the most important
• Shows why your country has the position it does
• Disproves information brought by another delegate

Information in follow up speeches usually moves between these four. In earlier speeches the “I” focuses more on your own world building and less on countering other countries. However, MUN simulation have a lot going on and the Information should be used and modified on a case by case basis.

Call to Action

Call to Action (CtA) is a statement designed to give instructions for an immediate response.

Your CtA is the practical policy to solve the issue you set up in your clash.

Without a clear CtA other delegates will not know what to do with the Clash and Information you presented. Worse, they can use your set up to justify other CtA’s/

A Call to Action needs to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely (SMART). 

Your CtA needs to be specific as to:

• Where you will get funding from
• Which organizations will you work
• What will you send

Clash: Sending Teachers to the refugee camps in Ethiopia.

CtA: Hiring 300 teachers who specialize teaching English and Math to United Nations run high schools at the 3 refugee camps in the Tigray region in Ethiopia.

We can’t send “teachers” as we don’t know how many, where to send them or what they are going to do. However, when we look at the CtA, we can guestimate the cost of 300 teachers who specialize in English and Math and now know where to send them.

A good Call to Action explains the problem, the solution and what it’s going to do.

Specific actionable policy ideas will allow you to direct the discussion, and later take credit for the ideas when everyone else has the same general stance (ex. “humanitarian aid”).  

Example MUN Opening Speech

This MUN speech sample is an opening speech for MUN. It can also work as a first General Speakers List (GSL) speech if your MUN conference doesn’t have mandatory opening statements. See how the Clash is set, Information used and Calls to Action introduced.

TOPIC: CLEAN WATER

COUNTRY: NORWAY

Honorable chair, distinguished delegates: 800 million people across the globe are living without access to clean water. Half of them live in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Kingdom of Norway believes that our efforts should focus there, and these efforts should involve the entire international community. Norway has donated over $975 million in aid to sub Saharan countries and invites countries who have not donated to join the effort. Norway proposes we focus on community-oriented aid in the form of water harvesting devices. A good option is the water harvester developed by the University of Akron in Ohio which produce up to 10 gallons of drinking water per hour from thin air. To ensure long term success, the United Nations should transfer the funding after there is sufficient training to build and operate the water-gathering device without continued external support. Community-oriented aid is a big step towards universal access to clean water. Let’s say H2”NO” to the water crisis!!!

Example GSL Speech

This GSL sample speech is comes after the opening speeches are concluded and twenty minutes worth of speakers into the session after the General Speakers list is opened.

Country: Comoros

Honorable Chair, Distinguished Delegates,

Comoros agrees with Canada, Ecuador, and Tanzania that cleaning water is the top priority and disagrees with Norway and Chad that water creation is an affordable or viable solution.

In small countries like Comoros the largest problem is water so polluted it is fatal to drink. Karthala, our most active volcano, erupted in April 2005 and May 2006. Each time, it destroyed multiple freshwater sources. It also took years to clean the volcanic ash that comes back as acid rain.

Our salvation was UNICEF and the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Office which give us $1.3 million to clean more than 1,500 reservoirs and bring fresh water to more than 150,000 people.

Comoros is aware that most countries do not have active volcanoes. However, water pollution is a global phenomenon, whether from other natural disasters or corporations who pollute without accountability. Comoros suggest the creation of UN-funded permanent water filtration programs. These can also be funded with proceeds from Canada’s policy to make polluting companies pay for their own cleanup.

Observe how echoing other delegates are used to shout out allies and members of other blocks. Notice how Information is used to offer an alternative issue to focus on instead of the one offered by Norway in the MUN Opening Speech Example. Additionally, observe how the Call to Action offered by Comoros is connected to the policy offered by Canada, showing willingness to work together. Most importantly, see how CIA is central to the speech even though many GSL speeches came before it.

The principles remain consistent. If you don’t fight to keep your clash on the table it could be lost and another takes its place. Information is always needed to support opinions. A Call to Action is introduced or repeated, keeping itself on the table and, where possible, linking back to the delegate’s national interest.

CIA Method – Continued

Defining the terms of the debate generally dictates who’s gonna win it.

Paul Begala

How To Find The Clash

A Clash is where two opposing opinions collide on one issue. More specifically, a clash is an issue within the general topic that our research, and MUN instincts, tell us will be central to the discussion and where our country can likely get a majority.

This basic concept is important because two ideas which do not clash mean the two delegates are likely not actually arguing and their ideas may coexist on a resolution.

Tool Tip:  Quick way to find the clash

Phrase your statement in the form of a question.

Example: Should we allow countries to freely develop chemical weapons?

If one country says “yes” and the other “no” then you’ve found the clash (or a clash) !

When some countries will say yes and some no we have a clash. This does not mean the two sides need to be equal in size, just that there is resistance and through that discussion.

When everyone agrees there is no debate. Without an impasse, there is no place for creative solutions or innovative ideas. A discussion without clash is also very boring to delegates.

Finding a Strong Clash

For a Clash to work as a Clash it needs to convey the following:

• Which issue within the greater topic which we want to focus on
• Which side of that two-sided issue you are on

Gambia: We should increase the number of doctors sent to Peru to treat Zika.

Norway: We should increase the subsidy to develop medicines to counter Zika.

In this example, you can see that the policy proposals don’t actually disagree with each other, and while they could both speak about the limitations of the other proposal, there is no reason not to merge.

Gambia: We should increase the number of doctors sent to Peru to treat Zika

Indonesia: We should decrease the number of doctors in the Zika prone area of Peru, as they are also at risk

In this example, we see that there is a direct clash, thus the same resolution, to be sound, cannot include both.

In Model UN, the idea is to solve global issues deemed important by the UN. The ability to improve upon the status quo means overcoming an existing barrier. For this reason, the greatest achievement a resolution can reach is if the sides give ground on something they previously did not and “go where it hurts”. It is these potential points of progress that are most interesting to discuss, and the debate will naturally flow to disagreement, as there is no reason to discuss points everyone agrees on. For this reason, it is important to find a good clash and set it, so that the debate is about what you want it to be about.

If no one sets the clash, it will happen anyway, because the nature of Model United Nations is to discuss issues. However, discussions can easily go in a direction no one wants, or at least some countries aren’t interested in. For this reason, each delegate should present a clear clash in their speech, as well as which side of the clash they are on.

Vietnam: Honorable Chair, Distinguished Delegates, Vietnam believes the best way to keep zika from spreading is to restrict travel from all countries which have Zika, specifically limiting who can use airports.

The speech can continue but after around 12 seconds, we know that:

• Exactly what Vietnam wants to focus on and 
• Which side of the clash Vietnam is on (Vietnam is for a travel ban)

Unless someone else directly disagrees with Vietnam’s idea, it can reach the final resolution undisturbed. However, it is likely to get more attention, and even be mentioned in other delegates’ speeches, than a policy to increase funding to develop a cure. What is certain, is that both of these ideas will get more of a response than a speech about how Zika is a terrible virus and a danger to all; something everyone in the room already knows and agrees upon.

The Danger of Being Off Clash

Along with strong clashes, there are also many statements and directions which are off clash. Being off clash is when you say something nobody in the room will disagree with. An off clash speech can be very emotional but, in the end, it takes critical time away from important material and new examples or ideas, which could further a delegate’s case.

Examples of Off Clash statements:

Statement #1: A nuclear holocaust is a horrible thing

Statement #2: Honor killings are bad

Statement #3: The Zika virus endangers lives and spreads fear

Statement #4: Civil wars destroy countries

Off clash statements can be more complex than those above. However, the core issue is the same in that entire speeches can be wasted developing and delivering points that everyone already agrees on. Another issue with off clash speeches is that they are easy to fill emotion and memorable sound bites because the content is so polarized. An experienced delegate will easily see through this, while beginners will often not remember a clear point because of all the bells and whistles.

A MUN speech succeeds when, after it ends, the listener thinks “I agree”, “I disagree”, “I want to hear more”, “I want to work with her/him!”, “I should keep an eye of her/him.” or “I have a question.”

The speech fails when the listener has none of those thoughts. Sometimes, by the first sentence of the following speech, the previous will already be forgotten. As stated above, an even worse response is when all anyone else remember from the speech is a funny or emotional line. Avoid sentences charged with feeling like “think of the children” (unless that is actually the topic) and stick to set a strong clash.

Statement #2: Governments should decide their own fate without fear of international pressure or retaliation.

To both of these statements, two very different countries (say, the United States & North Korea) would have the same answer. This is because the statements are too polarized and are thus beyond the clash.

Statement #3 : A country should have complete freedom to pursue nuclear ambitions.

To this third statement, the US and DPRK would not agree and thus we find a clear cash. This clash can be seen in a topic with two sides, where progress for one side comes at the “expense” of the other. Clearly, many countries will have a lot to say on the matter.

Choosing the Right Clash

There are many possible clashes , and some will be more in a country’s favor than others.

Norway:  We should increase the subsidy to develop medicines to counter Zika

Mexico:   We should develop chemicals which kill mosquitoes

Vietnam: Should we impose a travel ban on potential carriers from countries with Zika?

Iceland:    We should make abortion laws less restrictive, to prevent the birth of fetuses found with the virus

In this example, El Salvador would not want to discuss the clash set by Iceland. This is because abortions are illegal in El Salvador and allowing the idea of less restrictive abortion laws would show El Salvador, and other countries which are completely against abortion, in a negative light.

Even in cases where the majority of countries in the room are anti-abortion, it is likely that abortion law is not the most important issue when discussing trying to reverse the Zika epidemic. 

All of these clashes are possible contention points; progress on any of them will be a strong part of any potential resolution. Off clash speeches and ideas, however, will not get such engagement or echoing (when countries repeat each other). Setting the right clash will give the room a way to align themselves and bring about an excellent Model UN. 

A strong clash, is a clash that is relevant to many clashes besides yours. That will give you more allies and make you more relevant to their ideas and discussions, keeping your points in people’s minds even after your speech. For example, finishing clinical trials to release a cure for Zika is more important, and will impact more people than increasing food aid to an inflicted area.

In a nutshell: Choose a relevant clash (clash = topic of debate with two or more clear sides to it) 

• Which your country can claim is relevant to them and, preferably (but not always), 
• Shows your country in a positive light.

We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge.

John Naisbitt

Information = Relevant information that supports other parts of your speech

Relevant, factual Information is critical for any MUN speech to be persuasive. It shows that your claim is based on facts and is not a vague generalization, which could be made up or inaccurate. Information is the way to show you’ve done research and have strong support for your case. When done correctly, proper use of relevant information will make you look smarter and can give the impression that you have even more research up your sleeve. For information to be most useful in your speech, it needs to specifically support one of the points you are trying to make (whether the justification of the clash or why your Action is going to work). (To better understand how to use the information to support a statement, check out our SEEC method in our article on “ How to Structure an Argument ”) 

The same statement given with the proper use of the information will make it much more persuasive and more sound at the same time.

Norway: We should increase the subsidy to Inovio Pharmaceuticals to further develop the GLS-5700. The trial on July 2016 had positive results and further investment of $5,700,000 could give us the best medicine yet to combat Zika.

With tangible examples, opposing countries would need to find counterexamples instead of simply saying “You’re wrong”. Also, if enough information is put into speeches over time, the underpinnings of reality will be built, giving your interpretation of the situation a much stronger case.

“I” Can Be More Than Facts

The information part of the speech doesn’t always need to be factual or example-based. What it does need to do is make the other parts of the speech stronger, fortifying the points made. While hard facts are usually best, the “I” in CIA can also be:

I – Facts (Statistics, names, dates, etc.)

I – Examples

I – Illustrations

I – Allegories

Facts and examples should be the most used device, and each speech must contain at least one of these.

When giving a story that lacks hard facts, you can cite the source of the story, which can give you some hard data to include in your speech.

You can include sources – like the UN Charter – where, instead of stating

“A country is sovereign and the UN cannot interfere in internal affairs..”

You can say

“Article 2 of the UN Charter says that ‘all members shall refrain in their international relations …”

Illustrations can bring color to a dry case and sometimes add a moral justification.

Example of Illustration

Sara woke up this morning to the sound of mortar shells. They landed far enough away that she was able to run. She did, after all, still have both her feet. Her brother was not so lucky, having lost a leg the previous week. Running for shelter, she managed to duck behind a boulder to avoid the ricocheting rocks. The bombardment stopped and Sara is ok, for now. What is happening in Wau Shilluk, South Sudan, we would call horrifying. Sara calls it Tuesday.

Note: The use if an ‘illustration’ should only happen after defining the clash where you explain what is likely to happen if we do not follow the course you suggest (i.e “The UN should NOT send peacekeepers to Myanmar (clash) – ILLUSTRATION – If we were to use peacekeepers (explain what would happen likely).

Emotional stories and tear-jerkers alone will rarely persuade delegates to join your coalition. However, good delivery can get attention, which is very important when everyone wants their speech to be listened to. You can obtain their full focus and attention, following shortly after with the point you want to get across. Everyone will be listening, it will not be missed.

Rule of “I”: Use Numbers (and Names) in Every Speech

The Information rule of thumb is that every MUN speech should have at least one number. A number is harder to argue with and makes your speech stronger and more credible.

“Their New York police force is large.”

“There are 38,422 full time police officers in New York.”

The second one clearly sounds stronger. It is more credible and also gives the listeners a general idea that can be easily understood.

Your opening speech should have three to five numbers. Later speeches should have 1-3 numbers per speech. Unique name dropping works as well. The name of the current president / prime minister, a city or region, an important treaty or some other specific name can be just as strong as a number in that it shows research and knowledge.

Remember, don’t use too many facts/numbers because then your message can get lost. Use facts to justify things / explain precedent but the bulk of your speech should be persuasion/logic/ support your own Call to Action.

“Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action.”

Benjamin Disraeli

(Call to) Action = Your Policy = An Actionable Practical Solution

Action, as in a Call to Action, is the policy you want on the MUN resolution that will pass with a majority. This focus on actionable/practical solutions is what makes MUN different from other extracurriculars which involve speech and debate. In almost every other extracurricular, it is enough to convince others (or the judges) that one idea is better than the other. This idea can be a philosophical concept with no detail or real-world impact. In Model UN, all of the committee sessions are focused on deciding what to do about a given situation. When a resolution passes, those same actionable ideas change something in the real world. The only way for you to impact this change is if your ideas are in the resolution. This is why it is critical to have your actionable policy introduced in your first speech.

Remember that a MUN resolution is an executive order to a bureaucrat somewhere in the giant UN machine. In the real world, this official takes the instructions from the UN resolution and turns the operative clauses into a real UN operation, or mission, in the physical world.

For this reason, the Call to Action needs to be:

• Empirically measurable
• Quantifiable

To be a ‘proper’ Call to Action, you need to be able to measure it , touch it and buy it . You need to be able to clearly explain how it works to others. While MUN is a simulation, it is a realistic one; we are dealing with real world problems. As such, if you aren’t offering a change in the physical world, you offer nothing . Without a Call to Action, the point of your speech can easily be lost. Even worse, someone else can make use of your clash to justify their policy proposals.

On the other hand, a good Call to Action can be passed in a resolution without a clear Clash or Information behind it. While the lack of a Clash or influencing the debate might not get a diplomacy award, the Call to Action may still reach the final resolution.

In a nutshell – A Call to Action is telling others what to do with the information you provided in the form of a detailed, practical plan.

Why is the Call to Action so important?

The goal of a MUN simulation is to solve a problem and, most of the time, make the world a better place. However, talk is cheap; only a real action plan, measured in expected real world results, will actually change anything. It is these expected results that turn our idea into a reality and are the motivation behind all of the speeches, lobbying and negotiations we do throughout the simulation.

Call to Action I: Commission 100 mile sweeping units to operate in the newly taken village around Mosul

Problem it’s solving: Mines hidden by ISIS fighters before they withdrew from the territory

Outcome of policy: The homes can be used again and lives no longer in danger

Call to Action II: Neutral observers should supervise, secure and count the ballots from all polling stations in East Ukraine after next election

Problem it’s solving: Vote tampering of some sort

Outcome of policy: A more transparent reflection of the actual will of the people

1, 2, 3’s of a Call to Action

For a Call to Action to work, it needs to meet the following three criteria. It must:

• Solve the problem
• Fit your country’s views
• Be simple / passable

The CTA Triangle

An easy way to remember the three criteria is to use the CTA Triangle. It is a useful visual to help you remember to check if your Call to Action is sound. A good Call to Action needs to hit each of the corners.

1. Solves the Issue

After the policy is implemented, the status quo should be changed in some quantifiable way. The only exception is when a country benefits from the status quo, in which case, their Call to Action should attempt to perpetuate the issue or at least minimize the damage to it.

Austria is against using chemicals to create artificial rain during times of drought (A process called Cloud Seeding to create Enhanced Rain) because it feels this would artificially tamper with the environment. They see that 70% of the room are countries who would use Enhanced Rain to increase crop yield and do not care enough about the environment to not use it. In such a case, Austria should not take up a position completely against Cloud Seeding, as this would not get a majority. Instead, Austria should opt for a policy of a testing zone to “make sure Cloud Seeding is safe”. This Call to Action could be limited to use in a small area for five years to assess environmental impact. If this passed, as a compromise, there would be much less use of Cloud Seeding technology. Also, there are now five years to overturn this policy in the future. With 30% of the room strongly supporting limiting the use, such a compromise could be reached. As we can see, a practical policy is offered which can be quantified, and voted on, that also serves Austria’s interest, even if they don’t get everything they want.

2. Fit your country’s views

Representing your country’s interests is a very important part of the Model UN, that many delegates fail to do properly. This happens because one can give a good CIA without, inherently, representing their country. If you ignore what your country would want, you can be much more flexible regarding policy, hence many delegates falling into this trap.

True Fact: It is easier to be completely fluid, in the name of compromise and consensus, if you ignore the actual policies that were implemented and your national interest.

When you present a Call to Action, it needs to be clear to the delegates, as well as the chair, that your policy is something your country would sign off on.

Hungary cannot sponsor, or support, a policy of subsidised modified wheat and corn to those who live below the poverty line in Hungary because it has banned the cultivation and sale of GMOs.

Hungary can give tax breaks to firms who can reach minimal quota targets for organic crops to use for the same purpose.

(If you are unsure how to represent your country, or fit the representation into your CIA speech, you can find all that and more in our article on How to Effectively Represent Your Country !)

3. Be simple / passable

Your Call to Action needs to be a policy which will not get lost due to over complexity. Also, even if the minor details are somewhat complex, the main idea should be clear enough to deliver in one to three lines.

For this reason, the third criteria is called “Simple/passable”. A simple Call to Action will not be enough for a good policy. However, it is a reminder that the idea needs to be simple enough, and relevant to enough countries, to pass. If the idea is too complex and cannot obtain a majority, it does not matter how great said idea was. The balance must be perfect.

A good Call to Action must be (1) unique, (2) specific and (3) attributable to you. For that reason, you should make your policy fulfill these three criteria as much as possible, keeping in mind that you also need to stop before you risk losing your audience. Again, it is about getting the right balance.

Call to Action Rule of Thumb:

A good Call to Action needs to be as unique and detailed as possible, while being simple enough for the room to understand and relevant enough to obtain a majority.

Coming Up With a Good Call to Action

The first step to finding your Call to Action is to quantify the issue(s) you are addressing. If you do not know what you are focusing on, you cannot solve anything. There can be a few issues to discuss within each topic and many directions to take, once chosen. Some can be more strategic for a country’s interest than others. In all cases, when you set the clash, have in mind the direction you want to take the discussion, to lead it towards your desired Call to Action. The key is to make the issue-specific and then solve it.

General topic Solvable topic

Global hunger Malnutrition of children in Uttar Pradesh

Combating the Zika virus Mosquitoes who transfer Zika

Preventing domestic violence Lack of safe houses for victims

(To better understand what to do with bad study guides and topics that are too general, check out our article on What to do when your Study Guide Sucks )

You should choose no more than three issues within a given topic, though one is usually enough. Memories are short and sometimes there will be tens of delegates who need to give an opening speech. The more non-related, different ideas you give in a speech, the less likely other delegates are to follow or remember them.

Finding Inspiration For Our CtA6

There are many ways to come up with a Call to Action. It can be from:

S  1. Original thinking

S  2. Look to your country’s past in this situation

S  3. Look at what other countries have done in this situation

S  4. Look at similar situations in your country, or similar ones

S  5. Look at completely different situations and try to find inspiration

There is no wrong answer here, with many ways to find the right Call to Action for the topic your committee will be discussing.

Have an Idea before you look for one

Once you choose your issues and have quantified them into something you can solve, don’t jump back into the research; take a few minutes to think. See what ‘common sense’ solutions you can come up with, then write them down. They might even be better solutions than what was implemented by the UN. Once you have a few ideas that make sense outside of the ocean of information, continue your research. As you now have something, the material you find will either complement, or supplement what you have found. It can even replace what you originally had, but only if you find something of better value. The key is to come up with the best policy for our specific committee that we can. Having our own direction before we start looking for solutions will keep us from getting lost. Also, sometimes, our own ideas can be the missing element to a very strong Call to Action.

Final Words on Call to Action : When we finish the A of our CIA speech and know what we want to do and how we want to do it, we can be very emotionally connected to our policy. This is great! However, this emotional connection does not mean other policies cannot exist alongside it, or also be relevant, even extremely relevant.

When it comes to a Call to Action, remember that there can be many solutions to the same problem!

Even if your Call to Action is objectively the best one you know, not everyone will agree.  You need to be ready to fight for why your Call to Action is extremely relevant and the best course of action to take. Also, if we don’t want to work with someone, make sure you have a Call to Action which clashes with something on the other resolution.

MUN Speech Format

While many MUN beginner delegates look for formatting instructions as they try to figure out how to prepare a GSL speech, the truth is that there is no required format for a MUN speech. CIA, country ownership and proper use of research will influence the content, but the only one who will see the speech itself is you. As long as you can clearly read the text, don’t get lost and are able to deliver it well, that is really all that matters. So format the speech in a way that suits your style.

MUN Opening Speech Strategy

When it comes to MUN speech strategy, how we start our speeches is very important. Many things can influence our first speeches, from the nature of the topic (Some topics can be more Clash or Call to Action heavy) to what letter of the alphabet our country starts with. The following strategies should be taken into account to make sure you nail your opening speech.

How to Start Your Opening Speech

The first rule of a MUN opening speech is to be interesting to your audience. This is especially important in a large committee, where they might not see you and will only hear your voice, potentially over a screechy microphone!

First Letter Of Your Country = Different Speech Strategy

Before you give your speech, look at what letter of the alphabet your country starts with.

If your country starts with an A or B, you might be able to give a speech introducing the topic as a whole. However, if you are Turkmenistan, it is very likely that your clash has been touched on, as have some of the policies you might want to state. Remember, saying it first does not mean saying it best . As Turkmenistan, much of what you would say will already be said, even if in a less clear or focused way. For this reason, write your speech with the end of the list in mind. Avoid spending time introducing concepts and make sure that as much of your speech as possible is unique to you, and detailed enough to get you the credit for presenting the idea best, even if not first. (More on strategies to adapt your speech to the discussion in the committee are in the next section of this article.)

Intelligent Use of Soundbites

Whether you are 1 out of 15, or one out of 200, your fellow delegates actually listening to your speech is essential in getting your ideas out there. Your first and last sentences should aim to be attention grabbers, but not so much so that the rest of your speech won’t be taken seriously. After you have their attention, try and get to your CIA as quickly and clearly as possible. Starting strong is more important than ending strong, but both are important if you want future listeners. Make it worth their while.

Opening: Do you hate mosquitoes? Honorable Chair, distinguished delegates, the delegate of Namibia hate mosquitoes, and that’s when they bite me without a fatal virus! The Zika virus must be stopped…

Ending: … those mosquitoes may bite us today, but now it’s time for the World Health Organization to bite back!

Echo and Name Drop Strategically

Unless you are the first to speak, you will be able to use the names, and words of delegates who came before you in your speech.

Saying other delegates’ names in your speech, whether allies or members of other blocks, will usually have them perk up and listen to what you are saying, because you used their name. Echoing also makes other delegates feel that you speak for a block and not just yourself. Often, echoing is reciprocal. If you use other countries’ names, they will use yours.

You can also respond to other delegates’ Calls to Action in your speech. This can be to support, refute or connect your ideas to theirs. Just make sure their ideas aren’t hugely popular. This will make you more relevant in the debate.

Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

Topics “Without a Clash”

Not all topics have a clear clash to start with. Some topics can be very principled. In those, the majority of the debate is spent setting the clash and, once decided, the Call to Action falls into place. On the other hand, some topics are off clash and result in battles of Calls to Action to decide which policy to choose from (Example: Helping flood victims). In those cases, mini clashes need to be created to kickstart the debate. However, it will still usually come down to measuring the effectiveness of policies against each other, rather than deciding if to be for or against a course of action.

Clash Heavy Topics

Requiring an international military presence remain in Syria

Phasing out the mining and use of coal for energy

Minimizing conflict in the South China Sea

Off Clash Topics / Call to Action Heavy Topics

Tackling and treating STIs and HIV/AIDS

Access to clean water

Combatting honor killings

Repair and resettlement after an earthquake

In the Clash heavy topics, countries can be on either side of the clash. Calls to Action heavy topics are also called Battles of Calls to Action. They are situations where everyone agrees on the macro clash (no one will say they support the idea that honor killings are good because the world is overpopulated) and the debate will focus on how best to solve the problem / which policies are the most important and central.

(To learn about other ways to interpret MUN topics, check out the “Identifying Types of MUN Topics” in the second part of this article ).

Macro Clash and Micro Clash

When the study guides give us a clash that has two clear sides, for example, giving illegal migrants from a warzone refugee status, all countries should have an opinion on the larger issue. An issue which starts the committee off by dividing the delegates into two groups is called a Macro Clash. It is the initial clash which requires a yes or no opinion from almost every country. The “Clash heavy topics” in the section above are all topics with a Macro Clash.

Identifying a Macro Clash

• It is obvious in the study guides
• Most countries will have an opinion
• There is only one of them per topic
• Everything else you do or think is a direct result of your position on the Macro Clash

Just because a topic has a Macro clash, it does not mean that both sides will be of equal size. If the topic is around child marriage, for example, it is likely that the majority of the countries would be against. The same applies for topics discussing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. This means that once the Macro Clash is set (and this can become clear by the middle of opening statements), the discussion moves from getting a majority on the Macro Clash to setting new clashes within what has become the new topic of discussion. This new clash, within the side of the Macro Clash that is chosen, is called a Micro Clash. It is a Clash within a Clash and is the new point of contention, once the majority reaches a consensus on the previous clash.

Identifying a Micro Clash

• It is an important question that will need to be answered on one side of the Macro Clash
• Most countries on that side of the Clash will have a particular opinion
• This discussion can become central, once the Macro Clash has a majority to one side

A Macro Clash can have many Micro Clashes within it. Furthermore, a Micro Clash can become the new Macro Clash, if enough of the committee agree on the next level of debate. The following example will show how this may occur.

Committee: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

Topic: Child Marriage

By the end of opening statements, 85% of the 60 delegates are strongly against child marriage. Allowing child marriage to continue undisturbed is no longer on the table. The remaining 15% can try to get some form of moral high ground, but it is clear that no resolution can pass with the pro child marriage countries continuing as they have so far.

However, even though they have a clear majority, the 85% could now go into the following Micro Clashes:

• Should the UN take collective action, or is child marriage an issue which countries should respond to individually?
• Should nations who condone child marriage be given warnings first?
• If married children emigrate, to a country where the practice is illegal, should they retroactively be annulled?

All of these Micro Clashes are yes or no questions, which could easily split the 85% majority into two groups of equal size. If that happens, neither of them will have a majority.

The discussion continues and a 75% majority is in favor of discussing the first Micro Clash. This now transforms the question “Should the UN take collective action, or is child marriage an issue which countries should respond to individually?” into the new Macro Clash.

The debate continues and a clear majority say that they believe the United Nations, as a whole, should take action. Now that the committee have agreed that the UN should be the one to take action, this clash too has been moved beyond and new Micro Clashes may arise. These could be:

• Should countries who have reduced the number, but still legally allow it, be punished as harshly?
• What should the punishment be? Should economic sanctions be used?

And so the debate continues.

As seen in the example above, the debate will continue to move from Micro Clash to Micro Clash until the committee decides, intentionally or otherwise, which clashes they want to discuss. This usually happens when one side no longer has a clear majority and realize they need to start working to retain what they have. Some beginner committees will have the entire room agree the entire time. This usually upsets chairs, who will have chosen the topic with some debate in mind, and is often not representative of reality. If an entire room agrees, it usually means some of the countries are acting off policy, which as discussed earlier in this article, is not representative of the people within that country.

Start From The Relevant Clash

When you are confident that the majority of the room will go in a certain direction, start your speech about where the topic is going to be headed, instead of echoing the majority opinion.

Sometimes, the majority going overwhelmingly to one side of the Clash may sometimes come as a surprise. However, for many topics (like the examples above) it is fairly obvious that the entire committee will agree on the Macro Clash and quickly go to one of the Micro Clashes. As the Macro Clash will quickly become off clash (because no one will condone honor killings) your research and your speech itself speech should be already aimed at winning the Micro Clash; particularly the micro clash you anticipate to be where the debate actually starts. Don’t talk about why child marriage is immoral or wrong; even if your country starts with the letter A, do not give a speech that will be repeated by many others in the room. Go straight to the Micro Clash that you want to set as the main focus; by the time the rest of the committee gets there, you will be ahead of the curve and could be giving follow-up speeches on the Micro Clash before most delegates give their first. Sometimes, this early start on a discussion you know will happen, can be the difference in leading the debate in the direction that will pass your draft resolution with a clear majority.

CIA Structure Is Not Concrete

The order of CIA is not set/fixed. You can start with the C, I or the A. You can switch the order if you believe it will make a stronger impact, will sound better or for many other reasons.

If you’re starting out, it is recommended that you try to use the C, I and A in their intended order. A clear clash lets everyone know how to categorize the rest of your speech. After that, the rest should fall into place. If you are unsure how to start a MUN speech, always start with the clash. However, if some other order works better, remember that there is no single right way to do

Follow Up Speech Strategies

Before you even start the first word of your opening speech, please keep in mind that you will need to follow up on your main point. Many, many times over. The following strategies will help you prepare for the speeches following up on your opening speech, to keep everything consistent and continue to be hard-hitting throughout the MUN.

Repeat Your Main Points. Always.

Repetition is key in MUN speeches. While CIA is the core of your MUN opening speech, one excellent speech is not enough. Furthermore, even if you give the best MUN speech in the history of MUN speeches after you are done, someone else will speak and eventually, your brilliant oration will be old news. You must keep the high quality of your speeches consistent throughout.

It is i mportant that each following speech repeats the core ideas of your case and links back to your original clashes and policies. This must continue over the span of the simulation. The focus of the debate can change, and you might need to change the clash or even your practical policy. However, your core interest must remain consistent, and that needs to continue to shine through.

You can use the occasional speech to reframe/clean up the debate (“To recap, this is what we have heard so far…”) or refute the other side (“They said X, however, this is clearly incorrect and here’s why..”). However, even these should come back to your core case and show “Why (my) Call to Action is the best way to solve issue X!”.

Continue to Echo and Name Drop

Just because you got their attention the first time does not mean that you will have it the next time without work. You should get used to mentioning 1-3 allies and 2-3 opponents in each speech. You should try and quote another delegate at least once in every other speech.

When you say their name they will listen. Do this well and your allies will mention you in their speeches. Your opposing blocks may mention you as well. Being mentioned by other countries in their speeches will not only make your country name more known but also make it more likely for your ideas to stay on the table. 

Adapting your Speech for Success

After the opening speeches are given, we can sometimes find ourselves ‘less unique’ than we expected. Below is a list of strategies to keep your policy on the table, while still being unique to you and your country.

Details Can Make a Call to Action Yours

Sometimes, we have a country with a letter from the end of the alphabet and when the room finally reaches our speech, our clash and/or Call to Action has already been said, potentially multiple times. Chairs write Model UN study guides with some sort of discussion in mind, meaning they expect that some delegates will come up with similar ideas. Remember, other delegates saying your Clash or Call to Action before you do, DOES NOT MAKE IT THEIRS . It could be a one-off speech, or they might not have been aware they even said it. So many excellent ideas are lost because a delegate planned for just one speech or they simply did not realize what a great idea they have.

If someone else states your Call to Action, whether in a one-liner or as the focus of an entire speech, YOU SAY IT BETTER ! Drill your points down in detail and give a more in-depth explanation of why it’s going to work. Show everyone in the room that it is your explanation which makes it a revolutionary policy. Go into the speech treating the idea as your own. The previous speaker was simply headlining it for you.

Turkey: We need to build desalination plants to help Kuwait increase water supply.

Moldova: We agree that desalination is the best course of action. However, for this to work, we need to specifically build Vapor Compression Distillation plants; these only require electricity to operate and Kuwait is energy rich.

You Can Drill Down For Any Policy

We don’t always choose the winning policy. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, a different policy ends up more central to the Clash than the one we planned for or predicted. In such a case, it could be strategic to drop your policy and use your speech to build on the more central idea, using the same method of describing a policy in more depth. It might not make you the main sponsor of the idea, but your place as a constructive partner could get you a central position in the coalition. Sometimes, compromise is better than having no input at all in the final resolution.

Flexibility is key in MUN and most chairs will give the credit to the delegate who was the main champion of the idea, not the person who said it first. For this reason, you can be the main proponent of the idea, and a major contributor, even if you didn’t come up with the original Call to Action. The key is reading the room and making sure the policy works with your country’s interest.

Strategically Choose When Policies Can or Can’t Coexist

A resolution is not limited to one Call to Action. Most resolutions will have a few different practical solutions in one document. Sometimes, they are complementary, while other times they are disconnected and simply co-exist on the resolution. If you are an experienced delegate, you should already be practiced at adopting your policies to the room you are in. You should also know when you see a block, or delegate, you do not want on your side; you need to make sure to have a policy that clashes with something in their speech or resolution.

In the end, the better solution PLUS the better coalition will win out . What is certain is that no solution, or a bad one, won’t stick .  As we stated before, the work doesn’t stop when you find a good Call to Action, you need to be ready to defend it. You will defend it in your speeches, get it echoed by your coalition allies and use all the MUN tools at your disposal to get it on that final draft of the resolution.

In a Battle of Calls to Action – Yours Comes First

Sometimes you reach that point in a battle of Calls to Action where the policies are being measured against each other. In those cases, a way to bring yours to the top is to say that theirs is a good idea, but it can only come after yours is implemented.

We agree with Malta that we should build schools for the children in the refugee camp. However, without a regular supply of food aid, they will not be able to truly benefit from the classes.

Delivery Tips – Putting the Public in “Public Speech”

While some are more relevant to beginners, all of these tips are important in getting your speech heard, understood and agreed with by the rest of your MUN committee.

Practice Your Opening Speech Out Loud

Specifically for your opening statement. Speak it out, see what flows and naturally rolls off your tongue. While later speeches are no less important, this is the your first impression and you want to do it right!

WRITE YOUR SPEECH DOWN

When we speak off the cuff, we naturally leave out specific names, dates and numbers. The same happens when we speak from memory. To convey a general idea is natural, but it’s the last thing we want to do in Model UN. Our goal in our speeches is to establish ourselves as knowledgeable, competent and worth working with. The desire to collaborate from other delegates will not come from generalizations and vague descriptions.

To ensure you do not forget any important facts, or the sentences you so carefully crafted, you should do the following:

• Have your entire speech, or selected bullet points in front of you, printed on paper.
• Use a large enough font to read from a distance, so you do not disengage the audience trying to read small text.
• You can also bold/italicize words that you want to emphasize. There are other markings you can use to modify speed, volume, gestures and more. 

Particularly when in a large room, it is much better to read straight from the paper. One should always prefer to be clearly heard and understood, than to miss words, facts and fail to deliver your point.

Practice with a Stopwatch

Ideally, you want to finish your 60-second speech at 0:58:5 seconds. You do not want your chair to cut you off. Practice your speech to make sure if it meets the time. Don’t be afraid to remove words and rephrase. Keep working on it until it does.

Slow and Clear Beats Fast and Crammed

Your goal is to be understood by everyone in the room. It is better to take out words and speak slowly, than to rush and get everything in. You will not properly hear or remember other rushed delegates, so don’t be part of that club.

(Again, Delivery Cues can help your speech and they’re right here!)

Bring the Right Amount of Information

Make sure the number of facts in your speech is digestible. It is the arguments you use which will persuade, not the long list of names and numbers that no one else found on the internet. Avoid information overload; it is best to use 2-5 facts in a one-minute speech, to be decided based on the content. Information can go a long way, but it needs to come as support, not as the main substance.

Put Your Most Important Points at the Beginning

Do not try to end with a strong punchline that will magically bring it all together. Most delegates will likely lose attention by that point. You want to introduce your Clash the second your opening soundbite ends. Even better, your Clash may be part of the opening sound byte.

Canada believes the only way to stop domestic violence is to throw anyone who is reported to be violent into a holding cell for 72 hours immediately after the call!

As seen here, Canada (1) set the clash, (2) showed what side they were on and (3) eluded to their Call to Action all in one sentence . Now, no matter what they say next, everyone knows where they stand. The other delegates can listen as you develop your plan / bring examples, etc. but even if they stop listening at that very moment, they know where Canada stands in the room.

Choose Effectiveness Over Emotional Attachment

We sometimes write lines in our first draft that we can’t seem to let go of. It is even harder when we write a speech by hand. We might want to keep this line because we researched for many hours to find that particular fact, or for some strange reason, the line sounds too good to us to pass up. Our goal is to be understood by others and get the desired outcome, everything we do is geared towards that goal. For those who find it especially hard, know that the abilit y to let go of lines will come with time and practice.

Always Speak

While CIA is very important, as a rule of thumb, it is ALWAYS better to give an imperfect speech than to say nothing. Speaking regularly and frequently raising your placard shows the chairs and other delegates that you are someone active, serious about the issues at hand and worth taking into consideration.

Some things to do when you are not sure what to say:

• Paraphrase one of your previous speeches.
• Write down a line from another delegate’s speech. In your speech, direct quote them and disagree.
• Summarize the past few speeches and say that you agree or disagree and why.
• Mention the names of countries in a block with their main points. If it’s your block, you can agree. If it’s another block, do the opposite.

Confidence, name dropping and rhetorical ability will grow with time, but being perceived as active is just as important. The delegates taken most seriously are those who are active and have impressive content and strategy. The one certainty is that imperfect action will always be better than smart and silent.

For more tips about delivery and public speaking, check out our guide on Public Speaking for MUN .

Use a Fact Sheet for Follow Up Speeches

You will not have space in your opening CIA speech for everything important that you find during your research. For this reason, it is good to keep a second document to put all the important facts and figures on, which could not appear in the opening speech. Keep this Quick Reference Fact Sheet with you during committee session. If you did a good job with your research to predict the direction of the debate, your fact sheet will likely be useful in a follow-up speech, or to answer a Point of Information. Copying over these numbers, names and dates while researching will take little effort at the time, yet having them for reference later can be anything from helpful, to life-saving. Also if it is a multi-day conference, doing some research on your main opponents’ policies and countries can be useful

A MUN speech does not exist in a vacuum from everything else that happens in the room. It is part of a larger strategy looking to influence the policy outcome however it can. The right Clashes, Information and Calls to Action will not only guide your opening speech, but also the clauses you write, the allies you work with and the compromises you are willing to make. Being off clash can result in time and opportunity wasted and other blocks gaining ground on the floor. We should not expect to be perfect, it is practice and experience that brings about greater speeches. So, on the bright side, you can expect your MUN speeches to improve as you gain MUN experience.

Whether a beginner, intermediate or veteran, the power of a good speech is universal at all MUN conferences. To be able to set the Clash, strategically and constantly use relevant Information and get your Call to Action a central spot on the resolution, is what will distinguish the top delegates from the rest.

In a Nutshell

When writing a MUN opening speech / GSL speech, or any later speech, make sure you have your CIA threaded throughout your speeches and guiding them.

For the opening speech, clearly,  state which clash you’re talking about and on what side of it you’re on. Bring information/facts  and research which strengthens your speech and position.

Present / connect them to an actionable, practical solution that you want to implement.

As you continue throughout the committee session, repeat your main ideas in your follow up speeches. Connect your ideas to others when you can,  and connect them to others in the room.

• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• Communication Skills
• Public Speaking
• Speechwriting

How to Write a Welcome Speech

Last Updated: July 29, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,647,605 times.

Are you on welcome speech duty for an upcoming program or event? You’ve got nothing to worry about—with the right format and tone, it’s super easy to write and present a welcome speech for just about any occasion. We’ve outlined everything you need to know, from your opening greetings and acknowledgments, to establishing the right tone and nailing your closing remarks. You’ve got this in the bag!

Greeting the Audience

• Keep the tone more serious if it's an important occasion. Use more formal language and don't crack any inappropriate jokes. For example, at a wake, you might say, "We're so glad to have you all here tonight. We appreciate your presence at this difficult time."

• For an event with close friends and family, more informal language might be appropriate. Include a few jokes and keep your speech more lighthearted.

Patrick Muñoz

Grab your audience's attention with a strong opening. Start with a loud voice and a strong presence that welcomes everyone and gets them involved. Ask a question they can respond to or tell a joke — anything to connect with the audience. Do something that grabs their attention and excites them and makes them thrilled about the event.

• Special guests include any people of honor, those that may play a particularly important part in the event, or those who have traveled a long way to be there.
• Make sure that you practice all of names, titles, and pronunciations of the special guests before your speech.
• For example you could say, "We'd like to extend a special welcome to our guest of honor, Judge McHenry, who will be speaking later tonight."
• Alternatively to welcome a group of people you might say, "While we're excited to have you all here tonight, we'd especially like to say welcome to the students from Johnson Middle School."

• For an informal event such as a birthday party, you could say, "We're so happy to have you here tonight to eat, drink, and celebrate another year of Jessica's life. Now, let's get to it."
• For a more formal event such as one run by an organisation, you could say, “We are so excited to have you all here to participate in our 10th annual pet’s day, organised by the Animal Rescue Group.”

Forming the Body of the Speech

• An example of acknowledging individual people is saying, “We couldn’t have pulled off this fundraiser without the hard work and dedication of Grace and Sally, who worked tirelessly from day 1 to make today a reality.”
• Avoid reading off a long list of people or sponsors, as your audience will begin to get bored. Stick to just a handful of highlights.

• For instance, at a conference, you might point out when the dinner will be held, or where particular sessions will take place.
• At a wedding reception, you might note when dancing will start or when the cake will be served.

• Alternatively, you could end the body of your speech during an informal gathering by saying, “I can't wait to see you all out on the dancefloor!”

Ending the Speech

• You could also say that you hope that the audience takes something away from the event. For example, “I hope that today inspires ideas and discussions around the ways that we can make our city a better place!”

• At a formal event, you might say, "Now, for our speaker. Rebecca Roberts comes here from Montreal, Canada, and she is a leading expert in the study of the human brain. She'll be speaking tonight on what drives humans to make decisions. Let's welcome her."
• For a more informal event such as a party, you could say, “Next up is Sam, who has been Kyle’s best friend for 10 years strong. He has a decade of embarrassing stories about Kyle to share with us tonight!"

• Alternatively you might say, “Thank you again to everyone for being here tonight to celebrate Joe and Kathleen’s 50th wedding anniversary! Let the celebrations begin!”

• If you are unsure, ask the organiser or host what an appropriate length of time for your speech will be.

Writing Help

Community Q&A

• Practice your speech in front of trusted friends and family in the days leading up to the event. [12] X Research source Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/effective-welcome-speech
• ↑ https://www.examples.com/education/speech/welcome-speech-for-conference.html
• ↑ https://penandthepad.com/how-5574707-write-welcome-speech.html
• ↑ https://penandthepad.com/write-after-dinner-speech-8035341.html
• ↑ https://uark.pressbooks.pub/speaking/chapter/closing-a-speech/
• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/speech-delivery

About This Article

To write a welcome speech, start with a greeting to your audience that’s appropriate to the situation. For example, you could try “Good evening ladies and gentlemen” if you’re introducing a formal event, or “Thank you everyone for coming on this sunny day” for a more relaxed occasion. After you’ve finished the greeting, introduce the event by talking about who organized it and what its purpose is. In the main body of your speech, acknowledge 2 or 3 people who played important parts in organizing the event. You should also emphasize special parts of the event that people should pay attention to, such as where dinner will be or where a conference session will take place. When you’re ready to conclude your speech, tell the audience to enjoy the event by saying something like “I hope you all enjoy the exciting speakers to come.” Finish your speech by thanking the audience for attending. For tips on how to introduce people at a special occasion, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Did this article help you?

Gokul Shriram

Nov 17, 2019

Apr 8, 2022

Adefisayo Adeyemi

Sep 24, 2021

Johnson Kisero

Jan 29, 2019

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

• Games, topic printables & more
• The 4 main speech types
• Example speeches
• Commemorative
• Declamation
• Demonstration
• Informative
• Introduction
• Student Council
• Speech topics
• Poems to read aloud
• How to write a speech
• Using props/visual aids
• Acute anxiety help
• Breathing exercises
• Letting go - free e-course
• Using self-hypnosis
• Delivery overview
• 4 modes of delivery
• How to make cue cards
• How to read a speech
• 9 vocal aspects
• Vocal variety
• Diction/articulation
• Pronunciation
• Speaking rate
• How to use pauses
• Eye contact
• Body language
• Voice image
• Voice health
• Public speaking activities and games
• About me/contact
• Speech examples
• Welcome speech

How to write a welcome speech in 3 steps

With a printable welcome speech planner, outline and a sample welcome speech

By:  Susan Dugdale  

So, you've been asked to give a short welcome speech for an event. Congratulations! And now you want to be doubly sure you get it right. The right content. The right tone. Plus, the right length!

You'll find everything here you need to do that easily, from start to finish. 

Jump in. You are just three steps away from a completed welcome speech. Shall we start?

The fastest and best way to get your speech done is to:

• skim read this page to get an overview of the speech writing process, ( the welcome speech template and the planner you're going to use), to  read the example welcome speech , and to find out more about the function of a welcome speech and the importance of its tone .
• then download, print and complete the welcome speech planner .
• and lastly, use the notes you made in the planner to write your welcome speech . To help with that, you can download and print the outline of my example welcome speech to use.  Edit, and add your information to make the speech your own.

Return to Top

The welcome speech template

To be effective your welcome speech needs to meet expected, as well as any specific, requirements dictated by the occasion.

The 6 standard welcome speech content ingredients

There are six common or standard content items in a good welcome speech.

• Greetings to welcome everyone and thanking them for coming along.
• Acknowledgement of special guests, if there are any.
• An introduction of the event itself and a brief overview of special highlights the audience will want to know about.
• Any important housekeeping information, for instance: where the bathrooms are, where lunch will be served and when...
• An introduction for the next speaker, if there is one.
• Thanking everyone for coming once more and then concluding having made everybody feel at ease, eagerly anticipating what is to come.

Numbers 1, 3, and 6 are basic essentials you cannot do without. Numbers 2, 4 and 5 may, or may not, be applicable. Pick what you need from them to fit your occasion.

Short sample welcome speech for a conference 

Now let's put all six ingredients into an example of a short welcome speech to open a conference that you can adapt for your own speech.

* (This speech is pure fiction! I made it up to show you how it's done. You'll see its tone is formal rather than informal to fit the occasion. I don't think there is a group called Parents United. However, there are others with a similar mission: 10 Inspiring Organizations that Promote Literacy and Education .)  

Example welcome speech - "Readers by Right"

"Sue-Ellen Thomas, Jim Smith, Jane Brown and all of our guests, good morning!

My name is April Molloy, and it's my privilege and great pleasure on behalf of Parents United to welcome you all here today.

We are delighted to have you with us to participate and share in this special occasion, our 5th annual Children's Day Conference. Thank you for coming. That many of you have willingly traveled long distances to be here serves as a reminder to us all just how important our work is.

Parents United is committed to actively raising the quality of life for every child. We want all children, regardless of race, creed or circumstance to achieve their full potential. Our task is to make it possible. Our mission is to provide practical, step by step assistance.

This year our theme is literacy. We've named the day 'Readers by Right'.

Thanks to the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we are aware of 'rights' in many spheres, including education.  Article 26 declared it should be compulsory and free for children.

That goal is as pertinent today as it was then. And it's a goal I know we all share - the full development of every child. As a body, Parents United recognizes good reading skills established in childhood as the foundation of fulfilling, and ongoing education.

We are honored to have Sue-Ellen Thomas, Jim Smith and Jane Brown with us today. All three are esteemed specialists in teaching young children to read.

Sue-Ellen has worked for a long time with educational authorities to establish programs putting in place necessary pre-reading skills. Her hard work needs no introduction. The results speak for themselves.

Jim and Jane bring their passion, and knowledge of how to reach those in our communities who are frequently overlooked or bypassed. Their work among disadvantaged English-as-a-second-language families has bridged gaps that were deep dark chasms.

Prepare yourself to be challenged, excited and inspired.

And before I handover to Lesley Watts, our coordinator for 'Readers by Right', who will outline the day's various events, I want to say once more on behalf of the Parents United organizing committee, welcome. It's wonderful to see so many of you here." 

Get your welcome speech started

To shortcut wondering, "Should I say this?" or "Maybe I should say that?" and "Then again there's also ...", I have a very simple solution for you.

Get yourself a printable welcome speech planner

Download and print my  special greeting address planner .

It covers ALL the necessary ingredients that go into preparing a successful welcome speech. It's simple to use and easily filled out. Once it's done, writing your speech will be a lot less hassle as you'll have the core content ready to work with.

Writing your welcome speech

Tips to help you get your speech right.

When you're entering information into your speech planner:

• ensure you've got all the names of individuals or special guests you need to mention specifically and, that you know how to pronounce each of them. Also check that you know and use their preferred pronouns: them/they, she/her, he/him...
• double check the remarks you're going to make about them, or anything else, are factually correct.

Use your introduction of your guests/or the event, as a "teaser" for what is going to come. It will help create anticipation in the audience. Don't ruin it by giving too much away! Just enough to tempt and no more.

Keep it brief. One to two minutes is generally sufficient.

(The word count of my sample welcome speech is 357. It will take approximately 2 minutes to say .) 

Use the S-S-S formula for success: Short, Simple and Sincere. Your listeners will appreciate it.

Get a printable welcome speech outline

If you would like to use and adapt the structure I used in my sample speech as the foundation for your welcome speech, click the link to download the printable: welcome speech outline .

Then edit; delete, amend and add, until you are done.

Get a hand with vocabulary

If you're stuck for words, here's a large selection of  adaptable welcoming phrases with example s entences.  Reading through them could help you to find exactly what you want.

What does a good welcome speech do?

An effective welcome speech has three important functions. It:

• signals the official beginning of an event . It says to the audience, hush, sit down, stop talking and listen. What you came for is starting!
• sets the tone for the occasion through the choice of language used . For example, using light-hearted and informal words to welcome guests to a dear friend's birthday party may be completely appropriate.  However, the same type of language to welcome family and friends to a memorial service is unlikely to be. In that setting, people generally expect a more solemn and formal word choice. They could be deeply offended and think the use of casual language is disrespectful.  Understanding and getting tone right is a key element in the overall success of your welcome speech.  
• unites the audience . It draws everyone together in the common purpose at the heart of the occasion. For example, at a birthday party, the welcome speech invites everyone to join in celebrating the person whose birthday it is. The welcome speech opening a specialist conference will affirm its principal purpose: the coming together of people with mutual interests to meet and share new knowledge. Or if a welcome speech is given to newcomers in a workplace, club or educational setting, its purpose is to give an introductory overview of how things work to help them feel more at ease in their new situation - to help them develop a sense of belonging.

Getting the tone right for an event

What is tone.

Tone is the combined impact of the words chosen to express something, with how they are structured and, delivered.  All three elements come together to create tone * . 

Get tone wrong, and your welcome speech is a disaster.

Get it right, and it's a triumph!

(Yes, that's hyperbole but I'm sure you get the idea. ☺)

* Tone - a mood, quality or feeling

How to choose the right words

The beginning of getting tone right is to think about your audience and the event itself. Your goal is to unite and bring them together in the main purpose at the core of the occasion. What type of language will do that most appropriately and easily?

To answer that question, think about the common interest everybody shares - the principal reason behind them getting together.  It will help guide your language choice.

Is it a fun event like a birthday party for close friends and family? If so, then informal language is likely to be the most apt.

You might hear something along the lines of: "Well, here we all are! The big day has finally arrived. Jean-Marie is 50! Half a century! How on earth did that happen?"

If it's a remembrance service for someone who has recently died, the language you're likely to hear is more formal.

For example: "Friends, family, colleagues, thank you for joining us today to celebrate and give thanks for our dear Jean-Marie. Your presence is gratefully appreciated." 

What is appropriate? What is expected?  Do spend some time thinking tone through. Misunderstanding and getting it wrong can be very embarrassing for everyone. If in doubt, ask someone whose opinion you trust.

Related helpful pages

Help rehearsing your welcome speech.

Get  step by step instructions on how to rehearse  including how to make and use cue cards.

And please do rehearse. It makes a huge difference! You'll sound, and look better. Taking the time to rehearse shows respect for yourself, the audience and the event. Truly.

Help to manage pre-speech jitters

Nervous? If you're shaking in your boots at the thought of having to speak in front of an audience, click  overcoming public speaking fear  for assistance. Take your time. The page has 14 tried and tested suggestions to consider.

Help with other types of welcome speeches

Or perhaps you need  welcome to the family speeches   or a  church welcome speech sample ? Click the links to find easily adaptable examples.

speaking out loud 

Subscribe for  FREE weekly alerts about what's new For more see  speaking out loud  

Top 10 popular pages

• Demonstration speech topics
• Impromptu speech topic cards
• Thank you quotes
• Impromptu public speaking topics
• Farewell speeches
• Phrases for welcome speeches
• Student council speeches
• Free sample eulogies

From fear to fun in 28 ways

A complete one stop resource to scuttle fear in the best of all possible ways - with laughter.

Useful pages

• Search this site
• About me & Contact
• Blogging Aloud
• Free e-course
• Privacy policy

©Copyright 2006-24 www.write-out-loud.com

Designed and built by Clickstream Designs

Mariska Hargitay Calls Out Harvey Weinstein Ruling, Gives Fiery Speech on Sexual Abuse Survivors: ‘Risky to Let Women Speak? You’re Damn Right It Is’

By Emily Longeretta

Emily Longeretta

• Hallmark Lands ‘The Chicken Sisters’ Series Adaptation With Lea Thompson, Schuyler Fisk, Genevieve Angelson and Wendie Malick (EXCLUSIVE) 4 hours ago
• Camryn Manheim to Exit ‘Law & Order’ After Season 23 (EXCLUSIVE) 3 days ago
• ‘One Tree Hill’ Cast to Reunite for Charity Basketball Game, Livestream to Benefit V Foundation (EXCLUSIVE) 3 days ago

“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” star Mariska Hargitay gave a powerful speech on Thursday in New York during Variety ‘s Power of Women event, presented by Lifetime. The two-time Emmy winner, who celebrated 25 years of “SVU” this year, was honored at the event for her work as an advocate for sexual assault survivors.

Hargitay took the stage at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum following an introduction by her close friend, Glenn Close. After many years of acting, “she still finds the heart, the art and the power in her craft,” Close said of Hargitay.

“I want to talk today about reversing convictions,” Hargitay said. “It’s impossible to reverse my conviction that survivors matter, that what happened to us matters, and that our society must respond to survivors more compassionately, more holistically, with a deeper, more nuanced understanding of what healing means.”

She called upon those in the entertainment industry to “use your power as a catalyst for change” and “examine how your actions either contribute to either keeping the system the way it’s always been or to change it.”

Hargitay also spoke of the irony that Weinstein’s conviction was overturned because “too many” victims testified at his trial.

“I do want to say something about the overturned Harvey Weinstein conviction. Specifically about the reason it was overturned: Too many women’s voices. Too many women were allowed to speak,” she said, referring to the conviction being overturned after the court found testimony against Weinstein was unfairly allowed based on allegations that weren’t part of the case.

“Risky to let women speak? You’re damn right it is. Too many women speaking brings change,” she said. The backlash to #MeToo is evidence of “how powerful those voices are,” she continued.

The foundation has launched numerous programs including the End the Backlog initiative, prioritizing eliminating the massive backlog of untested rape kits in police departments.

“It’s impossible to reverse my conviction that we must listen to survivors,” Hargitay continued, talking about the work of the Joyful Heart Foundation.

“It’s impossible reverse my conviction, and the conviction of my extraordinary team at Joyful Heart, that the backlog of untested rape kits can be brought to zero, that the testing of all new kits must be mandated, that we need a statewide kit tracking system, and that survivors have the right to access the status of their kits,” she said.

“Her decades of steadfast advocacy on behalf of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse has truly changed how we all talk about these crimes,” says Joyful Heart executive director Robyn Mazur. “Her passion and encouragement has been the driving force at the organization, and every day I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish next.”

More From Our Brands

Grupo frontera announce ‘jugando a que no pasa nada’ tour, this one-of-a-kind, heavily modified tesla roadster prototype is currently up for grabs, husch blackwell’s 2024 ncaa compliance report: college athletics in transition, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, seth meyers extends contract to host late night through 2028, verify it's you, please log in.

Latest Stories

• more Entertainment Worth Health IPL 2024 Women's Day 2024

Happy Mothers's Day 2024 Speech Ideas: Best Short, Long, And 10 Lines Speech On Mother's Day In English For Students

Happy Mother’s Day 2024 speech ideas in English: Mother's Day is a global celebration that gives us a chance to honour mothers and motherly figures and recognise the sacrifices they make for their families. Activist Anna Jarvis, inspired by her own mother's dedication to humanitarian work, established Mother's Day in the US in 1908 . In 1914, then US President Woodrow Wilson officially declared the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day, a day dedicated to showing gratitude and appreciation for mothers everywhere . This year, Mother's Day falls on May 12.

Mother's Day holds great significance as it allows us to acknowledge and celebrate the invaluable contributions of mothers to society. Mothers play a crucial role in shaping the lives of their children, imparting values, providing support, and nurturing growth. Their selfless love and unwavering dedication are the foundation of family life, creating bonds that last through generations.

Mother's Day serves as a reminder to express gratitude for the countless sacrifices mothers make, often behind the scenes, to ensure the well-being and happiness of their families. It's a time to reflect on their tireless efforts and show them the appreciation they truly deserve.

As Mother's Day 2024 approaches, many events will be organised worldwide to celebrate this special occasion. Educational institutions will host a variety of activities such as quiz contests, campaigns, rallies, poster-making, and speeches to honour mothers and their contributions. Students play a significant role in these events, often participating in speech competitions in their schools and colleges. Here are some Mother's Day speech ideas for students in English:

How to Write an Impressive Speech for Mother's Day 2024?

• Start with a heartfelt introduction, acknowledging the significance of Mother's Day as a special occasion to honour and appreciate mothers everywhere.
• Share personal anecdotes or stories about your own mother or the mothers in your life to connect with your audience emotionally.
• Express gratitude and appreciation for all the love, sacrifices, and hard work that mothers put into raising their children and managing their families.
• Highlight the importance of showing love and appreciation to mothers not just on Mother's Day, but every day of the year.
• Incorporate quotes, poems, or songs about mothers to add depth and inspiration to your speech.
• Discuss the global significance of Mother's Day and how it is celebrated in different cultures and countries around the world.
• Encourage the audience to take action by expressing their love and appreciation to their mothers through heartfelt gestures, such as spending quality time together, writing letters or cards, or giving thoughtful gifts.
• End the speech with a heartfelt conclusion, reiterating the importance of cherishing and honouring mothers every day.
• Optionally, invite the audience to share their own stories or reflections about their mothers, creating a sense of community and connection.
• Practice delivering your speech with confidence and sincerity to ensure that it resonates with your audience and leaves a lasting impression.

Mother's Day Short speech in English

Good morning/afternoon everyone,

On Mother's Day, we celebrate the incredible love and sacrifice of mothers everywhere. A mother's love knows no bounds, and her selflessness is truly inspiring. She dedicates her life to her children, nurturing and supporting them every step of the way.

As we honour mothers on this special day, let us remember the profound impact they have on our lives. They teach us valuable lessons, guide us through challenges, and fill our hearts with boundless love.

May this Mother's Day bring joy and appreciation to all mothers around the world. Let us express our gratitude for their unwavering support and unconditional love. Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing mothers out there!

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Mother's Day Long Speech

Respected Sir/Madam, esteemed guests, and my fellow students,

Mother's Day is a beautiful celebration of motherhood, a time when we express our love and gratitude to the special women in our lives. A mother's love is pure and selfless, and she serves as the backbone of the family, sacrificing everything to keep everyone happy.

For me, my mother is my greatest teacher and supporter. She has always been there for me, guiding me through life's challenges and teaching me valuable lessons along the way. Her sacrifices for my happiness and success are endless, and I am forever grateful for her love and care.

Mother's Day is celebrated differently around the world, but its essence remains the same – to honour and appreciate mothers for their unconditional love and selfless contributions to their families and society. However, in recent times, the true meaning of Mother's Day has been overshadowed by commercialization.

Mothers are the heart and soul of the family, binding everyone together with their love and care. They possess an unmatched strength and resilience, always putting their children's needs before their own. A mother's love is a powerful force that can weather any storm and overcome any obstacle.

Every day should be Mother's Day, as we should always cherish and appreciate the love and sacrifices of our mothers. Let us take this opportunity to honour and celebrate all the beautiful mothers around the world, thanking them for their unwavering love and support.

In closing, I want to express my deepest gratitude to my mother for everything she has done for me. I also want to thank each and every one of you for being here today to celebrate the incredible women who have shaped our lives. Happy Mother's Day to all!

Happy Mothers Day 2024: 10 Lines speech on Mother's Day

• Mother's Day honours the invaluable role of mothers in our lives.
• It's a day to express gratitude for their tireless dedication to their families.
• Mother's Day reminds us to show respect and obedience to our mothers.
• Many countries worldwide celebrate Mother's Day.
• Typically, it's observed on the second Sunday of May in most countries.
• France and Sweden celebrate Mother's Day on the last Sunday of May.
• In Mexico, Mother's Day falls on May 10th each year.
• Thailand commemorates its queen's birthday as Mother's Day on August 12th.
• The United Kingdom celebrates Mother's Day as Motherhood Day three weeks before Easter.
• In India, Mother's Day involves giving greeting cards, flowers, and gifts to mothers, and many institutions organise speeches or essay contests to honour mothers

For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit  Indiatimes Events .

Bhupinder Singh is a Principal Executive in Content Management. He writes about historic events, art and culture for SEO. His interests include Artificial intelligence tools like Chatgpt, midjourney, and generative AI, along with an avid passion for cricket. In his free time, you will find him discussing MS Dhoni-Sachin Tendulkar and IPL.

Visual Stories

10 Most Inspiring Quotes By Elon Musk

Why Women Don't Want To Live With Their In-laws Anymore

10 Lord Buddha’s Teachings On Success

Optical Illusion IQ Test: Only Genius Can Spot The Snowman In 10 Seconds

Northern Lights Illuminate Skies Around The World, See Pics

Chanakya Niti: Chanakya Says It Is Wise To Run Away From These 4 Situations

10 Types Of Relatives You Should Always Stay Away From

Akshaya Tritiya 2024: Check City-wise Gold Rates

'Love You, Mom': 7 Mother's Day Gifts That Won't Cost A Fortune

Maruti Swift 2024 Launched: Check Out Price, Variants & Features

Accept the updated Privacy & Cookie Policy

Wisconsin hockey great Meghan Duggan says delivering commencement speech the 'honor of a lifetime'

MADISON – Meghan Duggan took the call earlier this year and couldn’t believe her ears.

The University of Wisconsin was inviting the former Badgers hockey star back to campus to deliver the keynote address at the spring graduation.

“I thought to myself, 'Really? Me?'” she said.

Duggan, 36, will deliver her speech Saturday afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium. She joins an impressive list of former Badgers athletes who have been commencement speakers that include J.J. Watt and Russell Wilson (football), Michael Finley (basketball) and Rose Lavelle (women's soccer).

Duggan led the Badgers to a national championship and won the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2011, her senior season. She went to play on three Olympic teams, winning gold in the 2018 games, and currently is the director of player development for the New Jersey Devils.

She met with reporters at La Bahn Arena on the eve of her address.

The following Q & A of her interview session has been edited for clarity and length.

Q: What does it mean to you to do the commencement speech and what will be your message?

Duggan: The honor to be asked to come back and do something of this magnitude is the honor of a lifetime for me. I love this university, this city so much. I have so many great memories from here and now being able to come back with my family and celebrate another generation of Wisconsin graduates and people who made all those memories here is the honor of a lifetime for me. It's great to be back in Madison. I’m very excited for (Saturday). I worked very hard to create something I hope will inspire everyone in the stadium and we’ll leave it at that.

Q: What do you remember about your graduation ceremony?

Duggan: I can’t remember specifics. I do remember sitting in the crowd in the Kohl Center with one of my best friends and teammate at the time, Kelly Nash. We were graduating together. I was part of the winter commencement, but obviously it’s super-exciting. I had my whole family in town. For me and for us at that time, you’re celebrating school coming to an end and everything you achieved in the classroom and everything you worked towards and your degree. But for the athletes it’s that extra special celebrating all that you achieved athletically, everything you went through, your teammates, coaches, support staff, everyone you had the time to be with during your eligibility here. ... It’s a little bit of a celebration but also a mourning at that time, too. (It was) four or five of the best years of my life here, playing and competing for the Badgers.

Q: Is there some advice you would have liked to have heard at your graduation that you included in your speech?

Duggan: I thought a lot of about that – what did I want to hear or wish that I heard back then – and I have a lot of that in (Saturday's) address. I think too, for me when I look back on my time here, I think about all the moments I was stressed for exams or rushing or busy or anxious about school and hockey. I think one of my biggest messages in general these days is just about taking care of the people around you, honoring relationships and really putting the time and effort and energy into those things and the people because that is what you miss so much.

Q: Did you ever think you could be the commencement speaker when you graduated? Is that something that crossed your mind?

Duggan: If somebody would have asked me that I would have thought they were crazy. I was still young in my playing career at that time and in my life, so my message to anyone of that generation is you’re graduating with tons of tools, everything you’ve learned from when you’ve been here. It's not always going to be easy. The real world, it’s hard sometimes, right? And they don’t need to know what they’re going to be or what they’re going to do. I was sitting there like them (thinking), "What am I going to do? What is the next step?" Obviously there are things you can do along the way that I feel help pieces fall into place or help pick you up when you’re down. I think (Saturday) should celebrate all that you’ve accomplished. Just know that you’re going to be able to take what you’ve learned and what you experienced, the highs and lows here, and that will help you in that next chapter even if sometimes it doesn’t feel like it or it feels hard.

Q: There will be some Wisconsin women's hockey players graduating. They’re going into a world of women’s hockey that is much different than when you graduated. How do they take advantage of that?

Duggan: What an opportunity ahead of those women. So many of them had so much success here. I’ve been following the last couple of years and just encourage them to go at it. Seize the opportunity, don’t let your foot off the gas. If that is something they want to do, go after it. There are spots to be had. Obviously they’ve got the (Professional Women's Hockey League) draft coming up in the next month or so, so (it's a) very exciting time for all those women.  I think that helps with some of the uncertainty that you feel as an athlete graduating.

Q: What stands out to you when you watch this generation of University of Wisconsin players?

Duggan: The skill and talent level and speed, it elevates every year and that’s kudos to training and strength and conditioning staff, the coaching staff, just the evolution of the way we see and look and play and train the game. It’s been awesome to watch. I was crushed a couple of months ago watching the national championship game this year but was elated last year when they won. I’ve been a close follower and close supporter, always texting with the coaches and some of the older players I’ve crossed paths with here and there. The success that this program has had and continues to have means so much to myself and all the other alumni. I’m so proud to look at this arena and the banners and to have played a part of it a long time ago.

Q: How did being a student-athlete prepare you for life after playing?

Duggan: I think it’s my experience as a student-athlete in terms of prioritizing time, working in a team, work ethic, being able to make decisions under pressure. Those are the types of things I learned here. Being part of a team, confidence, leadership, those are all the things that I learned. Being part of a team and when push comes to shove, trying to study for an exam and time management, all those types of things. That is what I learned as a student athlete regardless of degree that I’ve brought into parenting or my career right now in the NHL.

How to Give an Award Acceptance Speech (With Examples)

• The Speaker Lab
• May 9, 2024

Table of Contents

If you’ve recently won an award — congratulations! There’s a good chance that a lot of hard work and blood, sweat, and tears went into the recognition you’re about to receive. Now, your biggest task is nailing the perfect award acceptance speed. After all, it’s important to show gratitude for the honor while also ensuring that your words will touch hearts and minds and hopefully inspire others to follow in your footsteps. But have no fear — we’re here to help.

From heartfelt gratitude to powerful storytelling, these examples showcase the key elements that make an acceptance speech unforgettable. No matter whether you’re leading a company, launching startups, writing books, teaching students, coaching teams, or giving advice as a consultant—there’s plenty for you to learn when it comes to crafting the perfect acceptance speech.

How to Give A Pitch-Perfect Award Acceptance Speech

Your award is a huge accomplishment that deserves to be celebrated. But before you start popping the champagne, there’s one more thing you need to do: prepare your acceptance speech.

While you could just say thanks and be done with it, doing so is a disservice to those who helped you get where you are. After all, an acceptance speech is so much more than just a simple thank you. It’s an opportunity to not just express your genuine gratitude, but also to acknowledge why the award is important and share the glory with those who helped you along the way.

Express Genuine Gratitude and Emotion

First and foremost, an acceptance speech is a chance to express your heartfelt appreciation for the honor you’ve received. This isn’t the time to be modest or downplay your achievements. Let your emotions shine through and show how much the award means to you.

Take a cue from Sandra Bullock’s acceptance speech at the 2010 Oscars. She was visibly moved as she thanked her mother, Helga B., along with all “the moms that take care of the babies and the children no matter where they come from.”

Acknowledge Why It Is Important

Beyond expressing gratitude, your acceptance speech should also acknowledge why the award is significant. What does it represent? Explain how the award is a reflection of your personal principles or highlights where you would like make changes professionally.

For example, when Malala Yousafzai accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, she used her acceptance speech to highlight the importance of education and the ongoing fight for women’s rights. “This award is not just for me,” she said. “It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change.”

Share the Glory

Finally, a great acceptance speech shares the spotlight with those who helped make your success possible. This could be your family, your team, your mentors, or even your fans.

When Taylor Swift won Album of the Year at the 2016 Grammys, she made sure to thank her collaborators and supporters. “I want to thank the fans for the last ten years and the recording academy for giving us this unbelievable honor,” she said. “I want to thank all of my collaborators that you see on this stage.”

So as you’re crafting your own award acceptance speech, remember to express genuine gratitude, acknowledge the significance of the honor, and share the glory with those who helped you along the way. With these elements in place, you’ll deliver a speech that not only thanks the right people but inspires and uplifts your audience as well.

Find Out Exactly How Much You Could Make As a Paid Speaker

Use The Official Speaker Fee Calculator to tell you what you should charge for your first (or next) speaking gig — virtual or in-person! 

Writing Your Acceptance Speech

You’ve just been honored with a prestigious award and now it’s time to give your acceptance speech. It’s crunch time to create a moment that sticks and sparks motivation in everyone. But where do you even begin?

Crafting an excellent award acceptance speech takes some planning and preparation. You want to strike the right tone, share a meaningful message, and of course, express your heartfelt gratitude. Let’s walk through crafting an acceptance speech that’ll definitely make a mark.

Brainstorm Ideas

Before you start jotting down your speech, take some time to reflect on what this award means to you. Why is it significant? What does it represent in terms of your journey, your values, or your aspirations? Brainstorm some key themes or stories you might want to touch on.

In addition, ask yourself: “What challenges did you overcome? Who helped you along the way? What lessons did you learn? What impact do you hope to make with this recognition?” Your answers to these questions will form the bulk of your acceptance speech.

Write Your Speech

With your brainstorming done, it’s time to start putting pen to paper. Begin with a strong opening line that will grab your audience’s attention. You might share a surprising fact, a thought-provoking question, or even a touch of humor.

As you write the body of your speech, keep in mind the time constraint you’re working with. Most acceptance speeches are fairly short, so you’ll need to be selective about what you include. Focus on a few key points or anecdotes that support your central theme.

Be Specific in Your Speech

When it comes to expressing your gratitude, it’s important to be specific. Don’t just rattle off a generic list of thank-yous. Take the time to acknowledge the individuals or organizations that have played a significant role in your success.

For example, in her Golden Globes acceptance speech , Oprah Winfrey specifically thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as well as several other key individuals by name.

The Power of Storytelling in Your Acceptance Speech

One of the most effective ways to make your acceptance speech memorable is by incorporating storytelling. Share a personal anecdote or experience that relates to your journey or the significance of the award.

Again, consider Oprah Winfrey’s Golden Globes acceptance speech. In it, she opens with a story from her childhood, when she sat on the floor watching Sidney Poitier become the first African American to ever win a Golden Globe. As she states in her speech, “I have tried many, many times to explain what a moment like that means to a little girl…and it is not lost on me that at this moment, there are some little girls watching as I become the first black woman to be given this same award.” With the power of storytelling, Winfrey highlights the men and women who have sought truth and justice no matter the personal cost.

As you craft your award acceptance speech, remember to brainstorm ideas, be specific in your gratitude, and harness the power of storytelling. Remember, just like the acceptance speech examples we’ve looked at, your words have the power to touch hearts and spark change in those listening.

Preparing to Deliver Your Speech

You’ve written a fantastic award acceptance speech, filled with heartfelt gratitude and inspiring stories. Now, it’s showtime. However, public speaking can be nerve-wracking, even for the most seasoned professionals. That’s why the key to a successful speech delivery is preparation. You want to be confident, polished, and engaging when you step up to the podium. Here are some tips to help you get ready for your big moment.

Rehearsing Your Speech

One of the best ways to calm your nerves and boost your confidence is by practicing your speech beforehand. Read it out loud several times, paying attention to your pacing, tone, body language , and emphasis. Consider practicing in front of a mirror or recording yourself so you can see and hear how you come across. In addition, grabbing a buddy or work pal to listen in can provide you feedback for improvement. Remember, the more familiar you are with your speech, the more natural and effortless it will feel when you deliver it for real.

Making Your Speech Memorable

When it comes to making your speech memorable, it’s all about connecting with your audience. Use eye contact, facial expressions, and gestures to engage them and convey your emotions.

You might also consider incorporating a memorable phrase or tagline that encapsulates your message. For example, in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. repeated the phrase “I have a dream” eight times, driving home his vision for a more just and equal society.

Respecting the Audience and the Clock

When delivering your acceptance speech, it’s important to be mindful of your audience and the time allotted. Express your gratitude sincerely, but avoid gushing or going overboard with your thank-yous. Similarly, respect the time limit you’ve been given. A short award acceptance speech is often more impactful than a long, rambling one. Aim to deliver your message concisely and powerfully, leaving your audience wanting more.

As you prepare to deliver your award acceptance speech, remember to rehearse thoroughly, focus on making it memorable, and respect your audience and the clock. With this game plan ready, stepping up to speak will feel a lot less daunting.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls in an Acceptance Speech

As you’ve seen from the examples above, a great award acceptance speech has the power to move and inspire an audience. But what goes into crafting and delivering a truly impactful speech? Here are a few final tips to keep in mind as you prepare for your big moment.

General Guidelines

While it’s important to express your gratitude and share your story, there are a few common pitfalls to avoid in your acceptance speech:

• Don’t ramble or go off-topic. Stay focused on your central message.
• Avoid clichés or generic platitudes. Be specific and authentic in your language.
• Don’t forget to thank the important people, but keep your list of thank-yous concise.
• Avoid inside jokes or references that may not resonate with your entire audience.

By steering clear of these pitfalls, you’ll ensure that your speech is clear, meaningful, and memorable.

Avoid Going Overboard with Emotions in Your Speech

When that award is finally in your hands, feeling a rush of emotions isn’t just common; it’s expected. This is particularly true if the honor marks a major highlight in either your work or personal journey. However, it’s important to strike a balance between showing genuine emotion and maintaining your composure.

While a few tears or a quavering voice can be powerful, going overboard with your emotions may distract from your message or make your audience uncomfortable. Aim to express your feelings in a way that is authentic but still allows you to deliver your speech effectively.

Remember, your award acceptance speech is an opportunity to share your gratitude, your story, and your vision with the world. By avoiding common pitfalls and finding the right emotional balance, you’ll be able to deliver a speech that truly resonates with your audience and leaves a lasting impact.

Free Download: 6 Proven Steps to Book More Paid Speaking Gigs in 2024​

Download our 18-page guide and start booking more paid speaking gigs today!

Examples of Inspiring Award Acceptance Speeches

Need some inspiration as you craft your own award acceptance speech? Look no further than these powerful examples from some of the world’s most influential figures.

Literature Award Acceptance Speech Example

In his 1962 Nobel Prize acceptance speech , writer John Steinbeck used the opportunity to discuss the purpose of literature. He says, “[A writer] is charged with exposing our many grievous faults and failures, with dredging up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams for the purpose of improvement.”

Best Actress Award Acceptance Speech Example

When Emma Stone won the Oscar for Best Actress in 2024 ,  she used her speech to pay tribute to her fellow actors and the power of cinema. “It’s not about me,” she said. “It’s about a team that came together to make something better than the sum of its parts. And that’s the best part about making movies.”

Distinguished Service Award Acceptance Speech Example

In her acceptance speech for the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award , Angelina Jolie spoke about the importance of giving back and making a difference in the world. “I have never understood why some people are lucky enough to be born with the chance that I had,” she said, “to have this path in life and why across the world, there’s a woman just like me, the same abilities, the same desires, same work ethic and love for her family, who would most likely make better films and better speeches—only she sits in a refugee camp.”

These are just a few examples of the many inspiring award acceptance speeches out there. When the spotlight hits you for advancing science, creating art masterpieces, or bettering lives, that moment is more than just applause—it’s a platform. Use it wisely; light a fire under others to follow suit and make waves of their own.

FAQs on Award Acceptance Speeches

What do you say in an acceptance speech.

Start by thanking the giver, mention key people who helped along the way, and highlight what this award means to you.

What is an example short award acceptance speech?

“Thank you to everyone who played a part in this award. This honor isn’t just mine; it belongs to all who stood by me. Let’s keep pushing forward.”

How do you format an acceptance speech?

Kick off with thanks, weave in personal stories or a nod to your team, then wrap up on a hopeful note.

What do you say when accepting an award at work?

Acknowledge the recognition with gratitude, shout out those who supported you, and express excitement for future challenges and opportunities.

Crafting an impactful acceptance speech is an art that requires genuine emotion, storytelling, and a touch of inspiration. Through these examples of amazing award acceptance speeches, we’ve shared some great tips on how to say thanks, share your story, and make an impact on your audience.

Remember, your big moment with that microphone isn’t just for saying thanks for the trophy. It’s also about shouting out those that helped you get there and inspiring anyone listening to follow their own path towards success. So, when it’s your turn to shine, make sure you give a speech that’ll stick in people’s minds for years.

• Last Updated: May 8, 2024

Explore Related Resources

Learn How You Could Get Your First (Or Next) Paid Speaking Gig In 90 Days or Less

We receive thousands of applications every day, but we only work with the top 5% of speakers .

Book a call with our team to get started — you’ll learn why the vast majority of our students get a paid speaking gig within 90 days of finishing our program .

If you’re ready to control your schedule, grow your income, and make an impact in the world – it’s time to take the first step. Book a FREE consulting call and let’s get you Booked and Paid to Speak ® .

About The Speaker Lab

We teach speakers how to consistently get booked and paid to speak.  Since 2015, we’ve helped thousands of speakers find clarity, confidence, and a clear path to make an impact.

Get Started

Let's connect.

[email protected]

Copyright ©2023 The Speaker Lab. All rights reserved.

Author Talks: How to interrupt bias in the workplace

In this edition of Author Talks , McKinsey’s Mona Hamouly chats with Joan C. Williams, distinguished professor of law, chair of the Hastings Foundation, and director of the Center for WorkLife Law at UC Hastings Law. In Bias Interrupted: Creating Inclusion for Real and for Good (Harvard Business Review Press, November 2021), Williams explains how leaders can use standard business tools—data, metrics, and persistence—to interrupt the bias that is continually transmitted through formal systems in the workplace. That will lead to enhanced diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. An edited version of the interview follows.

What problem were you trying to solve with this book?

In writing this book, I was trying to solve a really simple problem, which is that companies have been spending about $8 billion a year on DEI initiatives, and unfortunately, not moving the needle very much, if at all. The simple message of the book is that companies have been using the wrong tools.

If a company had a problem with sales, you wouldn’t hold a deep, sincere conversation about how much everybody values sales, dedicate a “National Celebrate Sales Month,” and expect anything to change. Unfortunately, that’s a lot of what we’ve been doing in the DEI context.

Businesses need to use basic business tools to solve this business problem—the same ones they use to solve any business problem: evidence, metrics, and persistence, until they achieve their concrete, measurable goals.

If a company had a problem with sales, you wouldn’t hold a deep, sincere conversation about how much everybody values sales, dedicate a ‘National Celebrate Sales Month,’ and expect anything to change. Unfortunately, that’s a lot of what we’ve been doing in the diversity, equity, and inclusion context.

What surprised you when writing this book?

Not much. I’ve been studying this stuff for over 15 years. I’ll go back and tell you what did surprise me the first time these findings began to emerge—the findings that are now well documented.

One of the very first projects I did was write a book, actually with my daughter, called What Works for Women at Work: Four Patterns Working Women Need to Know [New York University Press, 2014]. For that book, we interviewed highly successful women, and I just told them, “Here are the patterns of gender bias that show up in the literature. Any of that sound familiar?”

I knew a lot of these had happened to me, but I didn’t know how common they were. I was completely shocked to find that 96 percent of the women I interviewed had encountered these commonly documented forms of gender bias.

When I started to study racial bias very intensively, I was really shocked at the level of disrespect that professionals of color report in the workplace. As a White woman, a lot of stuff happens. A lot of it’s great; a lot of it’s not so great. But the kind of raw disrespect reported by people of color, especially by African Americans, I found deeply, deeply shocking.

Describe the five patterns of bias.

One of the things we find with dazzling consistency is that there are five basic patterns of bias. The first is “prove it again.” Some groups have to prove themselves more than others. The second we call the “tightrope,” and that refers to the idea that office politics is more complicated for some groups than others.

Short description: White men just need to be authoritative and ambitious, but other groups need to find a way of being authoritative and ambitious in a way that’s seen as appropriate for their groups. So a woman who is being very hard driving may be seen as difficult or having “sharp elbows.” An African American man, for example, who’s being very assertive in a business context—in a way that, in a White man, might be seen as showing a career-enhancing passion for the business—might be written off as intimidating or angry.

We find, particularly in tech, that Latinas—often when, again, they’re being authoritative in the context of a business disagreement—are seen as being emotional or even feisty. And “feisty” is such an interesting word because it basically says, “You are displaying authoritativeness in a way that I am coding as merely cute.”

The third pattern, which is also triggered both by race and by gender, we call the “tug of war.” That’s when bias against a group fuels conflicts within the group. That syndrome often happens when women are pitted against each other for the one “woman’s slot.” And this can happen if people of color are pitted against each other for the one “diversity slot.” So that’s when bias against a group really freights the relationships within the group.

The fourth pattern, which is actually the strongest pattern of gender bias, is the “maternal wall”: gender bias triggered by motherhood. Mothers are stereotyped as less competent and committed than other people.

The final pattern comprises the racial stereotypes and experiences that differ by group and that haven’t been picked up by these other four patterns. For example, as I mentioned, African Americans often experience very high levels of social isolation and disrespect. Asian Americans are stereotyped by White people as good for technical matters but not having leadership potential.

These are the five patterns that show up with just remarkable consistency in our data sets, which are now approaching 20,000 people.

Is hiring more women and people of color enough?

One of the standard approaches to DEI is to say, “We just need to hire more women and people of color.” That’s a really important initiative; I totally endorse it. But it’s not the answer.

What we have seen over the past 25 years is many organizations hiring women and hiring people of color and then having them leave. The really important message is that you have to interrupt bias in your basic business systems, not only in hiring, but in performance evaluations, where these five patterns of bias very commonly play out.

We’ve done studies and worked with organizations to correct this. If we keep hiring women and people of color, and then they don’t see a future for themselves, because they’re not getting fair access to career-enhancing opportunities, the handwriting is on the wall. They will leave.

What our studies show is that White men report really high levels of fair access to career-enhancing opportunity, sometimes as high as 87 percent. In one data set, we found that only 53 percent of Black women reported fair access to career-enhancing assignments. For far too long, organizations have focused on hiring, but they haven’t focused on changing the conditions once people have been hired.

For far too long, organizations have focused on hiring, but they haven’t focused on changing the conditions once people have been hired.

How can CEOs reach DEI goals?

I have a very reassuring message, first of all, to CFOs. Here’s an invitation to stop throwing money at the problem and not solving it. The reassuring message to CEOs is that all you need to do is use basic business tools.

Very often, in recent years, the solution has been to have a deep, sincere conversation about how much we all value inclusion. Those conversations are not useless. They are helpful. But a sincere conversation is not an effective organizational-change strategy; it just isn’t. What you need to do as a CEO and as a company is to use this 40 years of research on exactly how bias plays out on the ground, to go back in your business systems, and to begin to correct for these various biases.

That really highlights another reason why we’ve seen so little progress. The solution recently has been, “We have a problem; let’s hire a head of DEI.” But often, the heads of DEI are not set up to succeed, because you hire a head of DEI, and then you put on programming. That’s what they have a budget for.

But in order to be successful, that head of DEI needs authority to be able to change the performance-evaluation system. You need very close authority between DEI and HR. Also, the head of DEI needs to be able to change access and equalize access to plum assignments. So the head of DEI, in order to be successful, needs the ability to provide input on who gets that flow of career-enhancing assignments.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected this?

The COVID-19 pandemic has made all of this better, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made all of this worse. Both are true.

One of the things that the pandemic did was finally normalize workplace flexibility. I was part of the generation that literally invented those arrangements back in the ’90s, and we knew that the only thing holding them back was a failure of imagination. That failure of imagination was remedied in three weeks’ time in March 2020. Now we have remote and hybrid work that’s been normalized, and that could really enhance opportunities for mothers—and opportunities for people of color because families of color are less likely to have a sole, dominant breadwinner than White families are.

On the other hand, just as the transition to hybrid work could really enhance DEI, it could really corrode DEI goals, as well, if it’s not handled well. For example, if you have a situation where more White men are coming back and working full time on site, and you have on-site favoritism going on, then the people who are working remotely are not going to thrive. They are going to leave, and that’s going to be predominantly women and people of color.

If you start out from the evidence, and you use these very concrete tools, you can make progress on DEI in short order, which I think is welcome news to a lot of people. On the Bias Interrupters website, we have lots of open-access tools. I would really urge people to go to biasinterrupters.org and, please, steal our stuff.

Watch the full interview

Visit Author Talks to see the full series.

Joan C. Williams is a distinguished professor of law, chair of the Hastings Foundation, and director of the Center for WorkLife Law at UC Hastings Law. Mona Hamouly is a manager of social-media content in McKinsey’s New York office.

Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement.

Explore a career with us

Related articles.

Author Talks: Indra Nooyi on leadership, life, and crafting a better future

Author Talks: Ella Bell Smith on why race and class are wedges between women

Mobile Menu Overlay

The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Readout of White   House Celebration of Women’s   History

Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Director of the Gender Policy Council Jennifer Klein, and Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality Brenda Mallory announced new actions to honor the legacy and contributions of a diverse range of women and girls to our country, and highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to increase the representation of women’s history in sites across America.

These efforts include an Executive Order President Biden signed in March 2024 to strengthen the National Park Service’s recognition of women’s history. To advance this work, philanthropic partners announced:

• A $1.3 million commitment from the Mellon Foundation to support the development of an inaugural Women’s History Theme Study, which will serve as a historical foundation for the National Park Service (NPS) to identify major topics and figures in women’s history to be considered for recognition at National Historic Landmarks, and inform efforts to preserve women’s history throughout the nation. This commitment is part of the Foundation’s $500 million Monuments Project . 
• A $2 million commitment from the National Park Foundation that will help national parks tell a more inclusive and comprehensive story of American history. This investment will fund Inclusive Storytelling Grants, providing resources to document, preserve, and share important stories, including of women who have shaped our history and continue to shape our country.

Today’s event builds on continuing efforts across the Federal government to recognize the role that women and girls play in shaping the American story. In 2023, President Biden designated the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Mississippi and Illinois that honors the bravery of Mamie Till-Mobley in the wake of her son’s brutal murder, which helped catalyze the Civil Rights Movement. Recently, the National Park Service also designated sites significant to women’s history as National Historic Landmarks, including Pond Farm Pottery in California, an arts community founded by renowned ceramist Marguerite Wildenhain, and the Sam and Ruth Van Sickle Ford House in Illinois, the home of Ruth Van Sickle Ford—the former director and president of the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. During the Biden-Harris Administration, the National Park Service has invested more than $19 million in infrastructure and preservation projects for parks commemorating women across America. Additionally, the Department of the Interior has awarded $2.1 million in Historic Preservation Fund grants for sites that are helping to tell women’s history through programs including History of Equal Rights , Save America’s Treasures , African American Civil Rights , and Underrepresented Communities .

Today’s event convened Administration officials, prominent historians, museum leaders, conservation leaders, members of the National Park System Advisory Board, Members of Congress, and others who have led the way in studying, recognizing, and amplifying women’s history. Speakers included:

• Deb Haaland, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
• Jennifer Klein, Assistant to the President and Director of the Gender Policy Council
• Brenda Mallory, Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality
• Dr. Elizabeth Alexander, President of the Mellon Foundation
• Lise Aangeenbrug, Chief Program Officer of the National Park Foundation
• Dr. Turkiya Lowe, Principal Historian of the National Park Service and Deputy Federal Preservation Officer
• Dr. Melanie Adams, Interim Director of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum
• Dr. Marvel Parker, Executive Director of Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute
• Dr. Carla Hayden, 14th Librarian of Congress

Stay Connected

We'll be in touch with the latest information on how President Biden and his administration are working for the American people, as well as ways you can get involved and help our country build back better.

Opt in to send and receive text messages from President Biden.